Infamous
by Iliketowritestories123
Summary: "Some crazy shit happened and the paps were all over it and you being away for a year will give it time to settle. You can work on your music in peace and quiet and then release it next year. No ones going to forget about you Beca. In fact they'll be going crazy with anticipation. I mean Justin Bieber did it. The people need time to recover, God knows you do too." TW: Drug Abuse
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Sorry about** ** _Guilt Free_** **, I guess I'll try to update that soon.**

Beca Mitchell

Beca Mitchell watches through the window of her private jet as the landing comes closer and closer and it whizzes past the sign on the runway that says " _Welcome to Barden_ ".

She feels a tap on her shoulder and turns her head to find her manager and best friend, Jesse Swanson, giving her a crooked smile, "we're home Becs!"

Beca wants to feel more excited than she does, like, she's returning home after four years but she just isn't. So instead she lets out a sarcastic, "yay."

"Hey don't be like that, all celebrities have to take breaks. You're just coming off of tour and yeah," Jesse nods and moves his hands emphasizing his words. "Some crazy shit happened and the paps were all over it and you being away for a year will give it time to settle. You can work on your music in peace and quiet and then release it next year. No ones going to forget about you Beca. In fact they'll be going crazy with anticipation. I mean Justin Bieber did it. The people need time to recover, God knows you do too. Anyway, it's all over now, I've made sure no one will bug you while we're here. Just you and the music."

Beca doesn't say anything back while the pilot comes on and say they've successfully landed in his British accent, she rolls her eyes, like, obviously they've landed but she is grateful for the pilot.

Then she looks away from Jesse and asks, "and as my best friend?"

"It's going to be good for you to be back in a familiar surroundings Bec. The doctors say it will tempt you less being in a small, homey town like Barden. Not to mention we grew up here and then just left when we were eighteen. We haven't been back in so long. It's all going to be nostalgic and great." He tries and convinces her and Beca wants to trust him so much and she almost does but her life has shown her that she can't have anything good in her life. She just isn't that lucky.

"And if I hate it?"

Even though she isn't looking at Jesse she can practically feel him roll his eyes, "then sack up dude, it's only for a year."

Beca laughs, "you spend to much time around me."

"Ain't that the truth." Jesse helps Beca out of her seat. "Come on let's go, the people of Barden awaits us."

Beca hesitates, " _what_?"

Jesse sighs, "I'm kidding. No one should know you're coming."

Beca only nods not trusting her voice. On her way out she thanks the co-pilot but not the pilot, Luke Evans, since he doubles as her personal driver and is already waiting in her black, personalized, Cadillac Escalade for the two of them.

The sky has white fluffs of clouds which contrasts against the deep blue sky. The sun is out but is currently behind a cloud. There's just enough of a breeze to pick Beca's chocolate brown hair to pick up slightly. She steps off the plane and take a huge breath in, the wholesome air that Beca grew up on fills her lungs.

Jesse takes out his phone, "hey Becs, pose in front of your jet."

Beca's private jet which she had gotten as a 20th birthday gift from Beyoncé and Jay Z, is a platinum gold color and it had the words "BM Airlines" put on the side as a kind of a joke.

Beca gives Jesse an annoyed look, "I thought the point was to stay out of the spotlight."

"Relax, I'm not about to put it up on Instagram and tag the location. I just want it so we'll have a story to tell when we get back." He says, shrugging slightly.

"A story?" Beca asks, "you mean like a documentary?"

"Nope, just a home video of sorts."

She rolls your eyes, Jesse's true dream before agreeing to follow Beca to LA and be her manager was to score or direct films. He was always recording random moments and putting them together with the most fitting music, sometimes her own mashups and songs and making them have sentimental meaning.

"Fine," Beca gives in. "Do you want to like, record me getting off the jet?"

Jesse nods ecstatically, "yeah just as you would if I wasn't recording you."

He moves to get the best angle as Beca runs back up the stairs and then once Jesse gives her a thumbs up Beca goes down the stairs, unable to hide the slight smirk on her face.

"And...Cut!" He jogs over to her as they enter the airport. "That's going to be the first clip of, 'Beca's Break in Barden'."

Beca scrunches her face together in distaste, "you've made better titles."

The two of them go into the small airport to grab their bags, Beca's surprised when she's not immediately flocked with paparazzi like she normally is in LA. No one even does a double take of her or asks for a selfie. It could be because she has large sunglasses, an extra long white T-shirt and faded and blue denim skinny jeans on. Beca looks normal. She feels far from it but she's glad no ones surrounding her and asking about the 'incident'.

Beca takes her bags to Luke who's parked out front waiting for them. When he spots Beca, he hops out and takes the bags from her hands and puts them in the trunk.

"Hey Becky, where to?" Luke asks. Beca sighs when he calls her that because she hates that name but he refuses to not call her that so she allows him and _only_ him to use that horrid nickname.

"Ask Jesse." Beca hops into the passenger seat. "You okay to be driving after flying for two hours?"

"Yeah I'm fine." Luke nods and takes off as soon as Jesse clicks his seat belt in. Thirty minutes later they pull up to an expensive looking apartment buildings in the heart of Barden. It's looks out of place with the town being so rustic and country but Beca sure as hell isn't living with anyone else.

Luke gets his own apartment neighboring Beca's and Jesse's shared one. The place is nice and roomy. It has three bedrooms, two of which have attached bathrooms. A big kitchen, a dining area, a living room and a studio room for Beca. The place was already furnished with couches, TV's, pictures and tables. Jesse's a really good organizer and planned ahead to ship some of their stuff there so it would look more home like once they arrived. And not that he would admit it but she knows the doctor suggested it when he told the two of them to move away from LA for a bit.

"So," Jesse says emerging from his room. "I'm going to go visit my Mom and Dad and then stop by at Benny's Coffee Shop, if you want to come?"

Beca's mind instantly jumps to your schedule and what Celebs she has to lunch, brunch or dine with. Beca shakes her head, she doesn't have a schedule anymore. "Can I shower first?"

"Course dude," Jesse says flopping on to the couch and turning on Netflix to watch a movie.

She grabs a black Yes No hoodie and grey tiny mesh shorts from her luggage as she goes into her bathroom. Jesse's hung up some photos, one of the two of them when they were about three (yes, 'cause that's how long we've both known each other) in a bathtub together, laughing gleefully at the bubbles surrounding them. Another one when of where both of them are ten at summer camp. Beca was in a lime green one piece caught in mid-slide going down a slip 'n slide while Jesse held a hose over it, his smile was one of pure joy. Beca likes what Jesse's done. Hanging water related photos. It's neat and really sweet. Not that she'd admit that.

Beca sighs, maybe that was her problem. She always hid the truth. She is always hiding the truth. She goes so far just to keep a certain image that she don't care that she's destroying herself in the process. At least she's admitting that to herself right now, that's a start right?

She's about to step in the shower when a certain picture catches her eye. It was taken a month before she turned eighteen. Two months before she left Barden. It's one of her wearing ray bans while standing with a huge grin on her face on the beach in a black bikini and black swim shorts. In front of her are candles, rose petals, balloons, seashells and sparklers displayed beautifully around. Behind her the sun is setting and there's a huge white banner that's says, "Will you go to Prom with me Stacie Conrad?" Beside her is Stacie, her tall, tan frame in a maroon color bikini and her hair mid flow in the wind. Her hands are pressed against her heart and she's grinning insanely huge.

Beca remembers arguing with Jesse about going over the top but Stacie's smile and the sex afterwards made it all worth it. Prom night itself couldn't even touch the day at the beach.

Beca starts to feel an itch. Not one that she can scratch to make go away. This itch could only leave with a pill or snorting or alcohol coursing through her veins. This itch would only go away with what she came here to avoid.

Maybe the doctors were wrong. Maybe this place will trigger her even more than if she just stuck it out in LA. Sure Jesse said this place would get her away from unwanted people but what about the people at Barden. Beca had ditched Stacie and forgotten about the tall brunette as soon as Residual Heat had signed her. What if you ran into Stacie here? _Fuck_. Was Stacie still living here? What about Aubrey Posen? Stacie's best friend would most definitely kick Beca's ass if they crossed paths.

A loud knock on the door makes Beca jump and pulls her out of her head, "Beca! You okay? I don't here a shower running. Come on dude!"

"Okay!" Beca yells back the itch persists the entire shower.

Once she's changed Beca and Jesse decide not to wake Luke up and walk to his parents house instead. It's about an hour walk but they could both use the exercise. It was good for Beca's recovering body.

Fifteen minutes later Beca's itch seems to increase. She's look around distractedly, playing with her sweater strings, randomly humming anything to keep her mind of the itch. That fucking piece of shit, itch.

Jesse seems to notice, "you good Bec?"

Beca nods, rolls and then shakes her head, "I'm gonna..."

Beca nods her head towards a small, what looks to be a chocolate and sweets store.

"You want chocolate?" He asks.

"I just want to check it out." It's a lie. She just don't want to be with Jesse. It'll make it easier to feed the itch if she doesn't have to stare into his innocent, loving, puppy dog eyes any longer. "You can go. I'll catch up."

He looks hesitant to leave Beca but the sun is setting and he did promise his parents he'll be there for dinner, "wanna just meet up at Benny's at ten?"

"Yeah sure," Beca's grateful that he wrongfully trusts her. "Tell the Mama and Papa Swanson I said hey and that I miss them and will visit soon."

"Will do. Beca please actually go to that store and stay out of trouble." Jesse says.

Beca nods and then sarcastically replies, "yes father."

"Promise me."

She bites her lip, "I promise."

Beca feels terrible.

Jesse mock salutes Beca and then continues on his stroll. Beca watches him and once he's out of sight. She turns ready to leave to try and find someone to sell you stuff when a voice stops her.

"You're really just going to break your friends promise like that?"

Beca turns and her already fucked up brain starts short circuiting when her eyes meet a pair of cerulean curious ones that she's never seen before.


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe Beale

Business is slow today so Aubrey Posen tells Chloe to go water the plants that are outside the sweet shop the two of them own. Chloe nods, she really doesn't mind. She finds it hard to stay in the store for long hours at a time anyways.

She picks up a watering tin and takes it to outside to the window sill garden full of roses and other beautiful plants. She's in the middle of watering when she's a guy and girl walking towards her.

The guy is wearing a grey hoodie that has "BM" on the middle of it in big, bold black letters, khaki cargo shorts and black slippers. He's cute, she guesses with his shaggy brown hair and tiny bit of stubble but Chloe's more interested in the girl he's with. She's wearing a bit to big black sweater with the words Yes and No on either arm and tiny grey sports shorts. Her hair is out and looks natural in waves and she's sort of short but it's cute.

But it's more than just this girls appearance that interests Chloe it's the way she's acting. She's fidgety, humming and looking around. Her eyes dart from thing to thing to thing in milliseconds. She's definitely seen this before.

They stop in front of the sweet shop and Chloe stops staring at them and continues to water the plants. She keeps an ear in their conversation, she's knows it's rude but she can't help it.

They talk about meeting up at Benny's and the guy seems to really hesitate with letting her go to check out The Sweet Shop but eventually lets her. He tells her to stay out of trouble which peeks Chloe's interest, what kind of trouble?

If anyone knows anything about Chloe it's that she can't help it but help troubled people. She has a caring soul though some would argue she doesn't have a soul, period, because of her auburn hair.

Chloe decides the plants are probably drowning and decides to go in expecting the brunette to follow her but she doesn't. The girl starts to turn away and you can't help it but call her out on breaking her promise.

The girl looks at Chloe and her eyes seem to freeze. Chloe can see the guilt in her eyes and also something else. The brunette breaks contact first.

"It's rude to eavesdrop," she tells her feet.

Chloe smiles, "it's rude to break promises."

The brunette sighs. Chloe can tell she doesn't want to break her promise to the boy but something is practically forcing her. The way she's tapping her foot and fiddling with her sleeves basically confirms it. And being Chloe Beale, she wants to know what that something is.

"Come on, I own this store with my best friend, I'll show you around," Chloe says and then adds, "and keep you out of trouble."

Chloe reaches her hand out and waits from the other girl to grab it.

When Chloe notices the brunettes hesitation she drops her hand, she adds, "I'm Chloe Beale."

The girl looks longingly over her shoulder and then back at Chloe and sighs, "Beca."

Chloe grins thrilled to have gotten that much out of her. They walk into the store and Chloe starts to show her around.

The store isn't that big, it has two shelves in the middle stacked with any kind of candy imaginable and then the front of the store has a counter made of glass that has baked goods. Behind the counter is where Chloe and Aubrey stay. There's a door there that leads to a lounge room and a tiny office which is probably where Aubrey is right now. Then the rest of the walls are shelved with all sorts of sweets. It has a whole tumblr vibe going on and Chloe loves it.

She tells Beca about everything she knows about sweets and as far as she can tell, Beca is politely listening. Chloe gives Beca samples of her favourite treats in the store. The girl stills seems to fidget but not as much, so Chloe takes that as a good sign.

After they go through everything, Chloe leans against the front counter and Beca stands in front of her, her hands shoved into the front pocket of her hoodie. She bounces slightly from one foot to another.

"So Beca," Chloe says softly after a few moments of watching Beca bounce, "are you new to Barden?"

She shakes her head, "no."

Chloe's a bit confused. Barden isn't that big and there's only one sweet shop so unless Beca doesn't like sweets she's sure she's never seen Beca before, "really?"

She nods, "yeah."

"Geez Beca, I just asked you a question, no need to ramble on." Chloe says jokingly.

Beca's cheeks redden slightly, she mumbles, "I'm sorry."

"Oh God, Beca, no!" Chloe wants to touch her arm but she can tell Beca doesn't like to be touched so she waves her hands around awkwardly and then slides them into the back pocket of her jeans. "Sorry, I was being sarcastic, I don't know why. That's not really my thing. Actually I've been told not to be sarcastic because no one understands me when I am. So again I don't know why I tried to be. And now, I'm the one actually rambling...sorry."

A slight smirk appears on Beca's lips and Chloe has to force herself not to make it a big deal.

"It's ok-" Beca starts to say but is cut off by a sound of something dropping and clanging on the floor.

" _Beca Mitchell?!_ "

Chloe turns to see Aubrey, her mouth is open in shock and there's a clipboard by her feet.

Chloe has two thoughts:

 _So Mitchell is Beca's last name._

And

 _How the hell does Aubrey know that?_

Beca looks at Chloe, her expression floods with panic and what Chloe thinks looks like betrayal. Chloe is so confused that she's not sure how to comfort Beca and if she's right, how exactly she betrayed Beca, so she settles for something she does know, Aubrey.

"Bree what's going on?" Chloe asks her best friend who's giving Beca a look that could send her six foot under.

"What the hell are you doing back here?" Aubrey looks absolutely pissed. She opens the latch door in the counter and storms over to Beca.

Beca visibly shrinks but doesn't move, she keeps looking Chloe with a look that Chloe reads as, 'help me.'

"I can't believe you have the nerve, you just ditched the second you got what you wanted. You're such a bitch." Aubrey shoves Beca's chest causing her to stumble backwards and land on her butt.

Chloe watches Beca's expression change from guilt to anger so quick, it's frightening. But Chloe has had enough so before Beca can retaliate, Chloe steps in between Aubrey and Beca.

Chloe puts her hand gently on Beca's chest but she's facing towards Aubrey. Chloe's eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Aubrey," Chloe says calmly, "tell me what the hell is going on?"

Aubrey breathes in and out a few times, "Beca's not worth protecting Chloe."

Chloe's not sure how to react to that, it doesn't matter anyway because Aubrey doesn't give her time to. With one last glare directed at Beca, Aubrey storms back into the office and slams the door shut.

Chloe turns to look at Beca who's chest is slightly heaving under Chloe's hand. Chloe gives Beca a questioning look because she sure as hell wants to know what just happened but she doesn't trust her voice to ask.

Beca still looks angry and for the short time that Chloe's been with Beca, she's never seen her be so...still. The thought jinxes it though because all of sudden Beca's practically shaking with energy or something that Chloe hasn't figured out yet.

"Beca, are you okay?" Chloe tentatively asks, taking her hand off Beca's chest in favour of gripping both the brunettes arms and shaking her gently.

Beca shakes her head, "c-can we g-go outside?"

Chloe nods, "yeah. Yes. Let's go."

Chloe leads Beca outside The Sweet Shop and Beca immediately sits on the bench a few feet away from the store and puts her head in her hands.

Chloe sits down next to her leaving an inch between them, looking worriedly down at the brunette as Beca tries to catch her breath. Chloe wants to rub Beca's back or run her fingers through her hair to try and sooth her but she's afraid Beca may snap. Not that the angry Beca scared her but it wouldn't do the girl any good if she continued to be angry, she was clearly already having a panic attack of some sort.

After a countless amount of minutes pass Beca seems to have calmed down or at least her breathing has gone back to normal. The only thing that continues to shake is Beca's leg.

Chloe takes her phone out to check the time: 9:30pm. She remembers the boy telling Beca to meet up with him at Benny's at ten.

"Are you okay Beca?"

Chloe expects a nod or a yes or even just silence.

Instead Beca looks up at her and says, "it's the itch."

Chloe's eyebrows immediately furrow, "what itch?"

Beca looks at Chloe and Chloe can tell for the first time that night she's actually looking. She's looking for something in Chloe. Possibly if she's trustworthy or more likely if she's insane for staying with Beca instead of checking on her best friend even after that comment Aubrey said.

Beca shakes her head, "thanks for not letting me do anything stupid tonight."

Chloe watches Beca stand up and nod awkwardly at her. Beca gives her a half smile and then walks away down the street, heading towards Benny's.

Chloe's still watching long after Beca's out of sight. She hopes the brunette will actually go to Benny's and not do anything else. She has a hunch to what that something else might be now.

The constant fidgeting and now the itch she was talking about it sounds exactly like what her brother went through.

She prays she's wrong, maybe Aubrey will know. Chloe decides it's probably time to check on Bree, close the store and head home.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Kinda short. Also this is an AU if you hadn't figured that out.**

Beca Mitchell

Walking away from Chloe was harder than Beca thought it had the right to be. Chloe had been keeping Beca calm and distracted from other temptations that the thought of walking away had become a temporary and totally irrational fear for her.

Sure Aubrey had totally owned her and then even more embarrassing, Beca had had a fucking panic attack in Chloe's arms but she still felt oddly safe around the co owner of The Sweet Shop.

The way the redhead seem to already know to keep her distance and exactly when to touch her. The fact that she didn't go after Aubrey but stayed with Beca instead. These were the actions of someone who honestly cared, even though it was beyond Beca as to why someone like Chloe would give a shit about a fuck up like her.

She prayed for the redheads sake that they'd never cross paths again. She's certain Chloe doesn't need a weak, failed celebrity like Beca in her life.

Beca checks her phone, 9:55pm. She decides to skip Benny's. Jesse will get over it. Beca has to feed the itch in some way or she's going to go bat shit crazy and kill herself. So she walks to the nearest gas station and doesn't stop until she's standing in front of a heavy set, poorly shaven man behind with a counter and 2 six packs of cheep beer between them.

The man raises his eyebrow at her slightly, "ID?"

"Are you serious?" Beca asks, incredulously.

The guy leans in a little and whispers conspiringly at Beca, "look, I can't sell to minors anymore or I'll lose my job...I need this job."

Beca rolls her eyes, "seriously dude? I don't have my ID on me but just...I don't know, like, Google me."

The guy looks at her for a while, "okay, what's your name?"

"Beca Mitchell."

He taps on his phone and then gasps, "shit, I know you! You're BM."

"That's right," Beca says, faking enthusiasm. "I'm 21, so can I buy this now?"

The guy looks at her knowingly, "tell you what, I'll give you these two plus another case for free in exchange for a selfie."

Beca's conflicted, she could easily afford three cases, actually she could afford this whole store and that dude but she's already feeling dirty so she nods and then deadpans, "okay, but you can't post it on any social media sites or I'll personally set fire to this store with you in it and the doors locked...from the outside."

The guys eyes widen in fear and Beca just gives him an easy smile. After the selfie, she grabs her cases and leaves. Her phone buzzes in her pocket but she ignores it. Probably Jesse freaking out for breaking news her promise. That makes her think about Chloe and that makes her crack open a can and chug it in one go.

The taste of cheep beer adds to the dirtiness she's feeling. Beca decides to go to the only spot she can think of where no one, not even Jesse will be able to find her.

Beca walks through downtown, past her old high school and home. To an abandoned park. She places the beer on the sand below a decrepit swing in which she sits on. She takes a can and downs it. Then the next. Then the next.

By her tenth beer she can't tell if she's swinging or if she's just so drunk that her brain is making it feel that way.

Beca picks up another beer and struggles to crack it open when she hears, "wow, Aubrey told me you were back...I just didn't want to believe it."

Beca turns, squinting at the person who sits down on the swing beside her. The person grabs a can of beer without asking for permission and it infuriates Beca.

"That's my beer..." She slurs.

"You'll get over it Becs."

The nickname clicks in Beca's intoxicated brain...its Stacie. She did bring her on a date here once. It would make sense.

"Stace?"

"Bingo."

Beca fumbles for her phone and clicks it on, she has 26 messages and 10 missed calls from Jesse Swanson which she ignores. She turns on her flashlight and directs it at Stacie.

Stacie holds her hand over her eyes, "what the hell Beca, turn that off."

Beca does but not before noticing how mature Stacie looks compared to the last time they saw each other. Like she had to grow up way to fast. Beca wonders why that is.

"Why are you back?"

Beca opens her mouth to answer and shuts it. She repeats this a few times until Stacie's phone rings disrupting her from answering.

She doesn't listen in on Stacie's phone conversation but does catch her saying, "see you soon Courtney. Love you."

"Girlfriend?" Her drunk mouth can't help but ask when Stacie hangs up.

"No," Beca thinks she's going to leave it at that but then she adds. "My daughter."

Suddenly Beca's sober, " _what_?"

"Go home Beca, you're drunk." There's shuffling of feet and Stacie's gone.

With Stacie gone and the itch temporarily scratched, all Beca feels is drunk and exhausted.

She fights with her eyes to keep them open long enough to drop Jesse a pin of her location and text 'come get me.'

Her phone buzzes immediately but she just shoves it in her front pocket and closes her eyes.

Eyes still shut, she sighs and says to the pitch black night sky and the decaying playground, "Barden, this has been one hell of a day back."


	4. Chapter 4

Chloe Beale

After coming home and making sure Aubrey was okay, which meant cuddling together on the couch and watching the Bachelor, Chloe had decided to due some research on her new friend, Beca Mitchell.

She started off by simply writing Beca's name on Facebook, which led to her discovering Beca's fan page, which led to her Instagram her latest photo posted 3 months ago was a throwback of Beca and that guy she saw with him yesterday. The guys arm is over Beca's shoulder and their both grinning at the camera. The smile on Beca's face makes something in your stomach flip, she's so beautiful. Chloe continues to scroll to discover that had pictures of Beca all over the world with really well known celebrities. Chloe noticed her smile in those pictures get less and less brighter.

Chloe closed Instagram and decided just to Google Beca's name and sure enough tons of articles popped up talking about how she drove of the rails and fell off the face of the Earth.

"BM forced to go to rehab."

"BM rushed to the hospital less than an hour after her biggest show yet"

"BM's manager Jesse Swanson confirms that B is doing better"

With each article Chloe's heart sunk. She knew it's wrong to read into somebody's personal life like this but it's not like she's going to see Beca again and if she did Beca won't tell her this. Chloe barely got her name the last time.

She's spends countless more hours just reading up on Beca's life.

"Good morning Chlo'." Aubrey says walking into the kitchen, already dressed and looking ready to go in a light pink button down shirt and jeans.

Chloe slaps her laptop shut, "oh hey!"

Aubrey raises her eyebrow, her eyes sweep around and Chloe knows she's putting two and two together, "did you go to bed at all last night?"

Chloe shakes her head, slightly embarrassed, "I was googling Beca."

Aubrey rolls her eyes and pours herself some coffee, "I'm telling you she's not worth getting attached to."

"How do you know?"

Aubrey sighs, "coffee?"

"Bree." Chloe complains.

"Okay fine," she takes a seat across from Chloe at the table. "We were friends back then. Stacie, Beca, Jesse-"

"Jesse Swanson?" The guy Beca was with is his manager. Chloe feels a sense of relief for some reason.

"Yes, Chloe don't interrupt."

Chloe gives her an apologetic smile, "sorry."

"It's fine," she waves her hand dismissively. "Anyway it was always the four of us, we grew up together. We were the core four, all the other kids seemed irrelevant. Beca started dating Stacie around the time we entered high school it was really cute. Beca was adorable the way she treated Stacie. The way she treated all of us, really. Growing up we'd spent every possible minute together." She laughs.

Chloe's mesmerized, she loves it when people talk about their life. It's like reading an exclusive book that's built in with all the laughs and the tears and the hint of nostalgia in their voices.

Aubrey sips her coffee, "I mean literally every minute, after school, before school, on the weekends and during the breaks we'd vacation together. As you know my parents don't really care about me and neither did Beca's but Jesse's and Stacie's loved us as if we were their own kids. Still do despite Jesse and Beca ditching us."

"Why'd she leave?"

Aubrey sighs, "Beca's always wanted to be a music producer and she'd been sending out demos to different labels and one picked her up."

"And she just left?"

Aubrey nods, "one of the last good times we spent together was the day Jesse and Beca prom-posed to us. Jesse asked me as a friend, he made a video of all four of us growing up together and then asked me. He was always carrying a camera and Beca gave him shit for it but the video was nice. I still have it."

"Can we watch it?"

"Later."

Chloe nods, "how did Beca ask Stacie?"

"Beca did a whole thing at the beach for Stacie. We'd spent the whole night there roasting marshmallows and drinking. It was probably one of the best nights of my life."

"If it was all good than why are you so pissed at Beca?"

Aubrey laughs sardonically, "because one morning Stacie and I went over to Jesse's house where Beca was living after her dad had kicked her out and they were gone. Not even Mama and Papa Swanson knew where they had went. A few days later we got a letter in the mail saying that they'd gone to LA, Beca was signed and that they were sorry. Stacie was so heartbroken that she slept with a random guy that in her drunken mind looked like Beca and that's how she has Courtney. I mean is not it scary how much she looks like Beca?"

Chloe nods now that she thinks of it sweet, adorable little Courtney does look a lot like Beca.

"You came about a month and a half later." Aubrey says.

Chloe idly wonders what would have happened if she came earlier. If her and Beca would of met and been friends.

"Did you know she OD'd?"

Aubrey nods, "as much as she won't admit it Stacie's been keeping tabs on Beca and when she found out it was hard not to care. It honestly makes me even angrier at her."

They stay quiet for a while until Aubrey says, "God, I need a drink?"

Chloe looks at her best friend, "Bree, it's like 8:30 in the morning."

"Can you run the store?"

"You're serious?" Chloe asks in disbelief.

"I'm always serious plus you owe me."

"I _owe_ you?"

"Yeah, for making me talk about Mitchell."

Chloe sighs, "okay, fine. Just so you know though I'm really tired and if I make a mistake today it's on you."

"We have insurance." She says and walks back into her bedroom.

Chloe's a little worried, Aubrey never not wants to work unless she's feeling really sick or upset. She guesses it's the latter and feels bad for bringing Beca up. On the flip side she's thrilled to have learned so much about Beca and by extension Aubrey and Stacie. When Chloe had first met them they had a hard time trusting her and now she knows why. Aubrey would have never told her all this stuff, she was just as closed off as Beca was yesterday but Chloe is trustworthy and they learned that through Chloe's persistence. The three of them have become really close ever since and she doesn't intend on up a leaving them anytime soon.

Chloe showers and changes into black skinny jeans with a rip in one knee, a grey midriff and a slightly big jean jacket on top of it. She leaves her hair out in its natural curls, grabs her keys and leaves for work.

Chloe decides to drive, usually she walks to enjoy being outside and saying hi to all the people she passes but today she's afraid she might pass out on the sidewalk.

She opens the shop as usual and sits on a stool behind the counter with her head in her hands waiting for a customer.

She gets a few regulars no one special, she texts Aubrey to see if she's alright. She doesn't get a response. Chloe hates boring days like this. She feels unproductive and frankly unwanted.

Chloe plays on her phone for a bit until her fingers decide to continue stalking Beca's Instagram. She can't get enough of the way Beca's eyes crinkle in the corner when she's smiling, an actual smile and so far she's only had those smiles in throwbacks and photos with just her and Jesse.

The rest of the work shift passes slowly without event. She checks her phone, still no response from Aubrey. She secures everything in the store and then goes outside and locks the front door.

"Chloe Beale?"

Chloe turns her head to find Jesse on the bench Beca and her were sitting on 24 hours ago.

"Yeah, Jesse Swanson right?" Chloe asks, acting as if she hadn't just spent the entire day learning everything she can about him and Beca.

"Yes that's me." He pats the spot on the bench next to him. Chloe doesn't hesitate to sit, any chance she'll get to know more about Beca, she'll take. Plus Jesse looks harmless, he's grown a bit more stubble on his face but other than that he looks the same as yesterday. "So I wanted to thank you for making sure Beca didn't get into trouble...least for a little while."

Chloe blushes slightly, "no problem Beca's nice."

Jesse laughs loudly, "a lot people have things to say about Beca, nice isn't one of them."

Chloe frowns, "well it should be."

Jesse looks at her, eerily similar to the way Beca looked at her yesterday just before she left, "you seem like a good person Chloe."

"Um _thanks_?"

"Look, I'm saying this as the only person who's literally been through it all with Beca. She has a tendency of attracting people...not in like a seductive way just in an abandoned puppy that you can't help but take in kind of way. She attracts good people, I've seen it. They want to be the one that fixes Beca Mitchell...they always get their hearts torn out and Beca either doesn't notice or care." Jesse says, the way he talks make Chloe think he's having a hard time thinking these bad things about his friend. It's makes Chloe believe his words even more.

"I'm not trying to fix Beca." Chloe says, "Jesus Christ, we've only met her one time."

"And you're saying before I brought her up right now, you didn't think about her once?" Jesse asks, his smug face tells Chloe that he already knows the answer.

Chloe sighs, " so what are you like, telling me to stay away from her?"

He shakes his head, "no I'm saying don't get attached."

He stands up.

"On the bright side, she did seem to like you," he frowns a little. "Well her intoxicated self did."

He salutes Chloe the same way he did with Beca and then takes off presumably back to his house.

That's the second person today to warn Chloe about getting attached to Beca and frankly it only makes Chloe want Beca so much more.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Kind of a trigger warning I guess at the end. Just be cautious.**

Beca Mitchell

"Dude, you do know you can't get girls pregnant, right? Like that's definitely impossible Becs." Jesse says, an amused smirk on his face.

Beca groans, "I _know_ but I was kind of thinking I'd go over to Stacie's today anyway and just I don't know, apologize."

Beca had woken up in the morning with no recollection of what had happen last night except for Stacie telling her that she had a fucking daughter.

So, yeah, okay, Beca did abandoned the girl but for the majority of her life even before she started dating Stacie, the tall brunette had been important to her. Her having a daughter is important for Beca.

Jesse just nods ands shovels the last of his waffle into his mouth, "do you think that's a good idea?"

Beca shrugs, "good or not, it's long overdue don't you think?"

"You're right, I actually have something I want to say to someone today too." Jesse says, taking his and Beca's plates to the sink. "We both do that and meet up for lunch?"

Beca shakes her head and instead suggests, "dinner?"

"Alright, please don't get drunk again."

"Yeah, yeah." Beca grabs her jacket, walks to the door and then turns back to look at Jesse. "I'm going to wake Luke, need a ride where you're going?"

"Nah, I'll walk."

Beca bangs on Luke's door, "LUKE!"

Luke opens the door, tired smile on his face and holds up his keys, "can you drive yourself?"

"You know we don't pay you to just sleep around in your apartment that, may I add is free, right?" Beca asks but takes the keys from him anyway.

Luke sticks his tongue out and Beca flips him the the finger.

The ride there is relatively undisturbed, there's a slight breeze and the sky is cerulean that reminds Beca of Chloe's eyes. _Chloe_. Holy shit had that girl gotten to Beca.

Jesse had told her that during her drunken state she'd mumbled a lot about the redhead. Beca was too embarrassed to deny it, drunk words are sober thoughts after all.

Not twenty minutes later Beca's pulling in front of a medium white bungalow that looks over Barden beach but is far enough away from the noise to be peaceful. The home where Beca was practically raised in.

Beca knows Stacie probably doesn't live here anymore but she figured Mama and Papa Conrad would tell her where she did, God knows Aubrey sure as well wouldn't. Even if she would Beca was to much of a coward to ask her.

Beca walks up the gravel path way and rasps her knuckles against the door, a minute later Mama Conrad opens the door.

"Beca!" She squeals with joy, "My goodness look at you! I'm so glad to see you! Come in! Come in!"

Beca smiles, her real smile not her celebrity, half mouth crookedly raised in a hot, playful yet mysterious way that makes everyone swoon but her genuine Beca Mitchell, grew up in a small country town smile. The smile Mama Conrad always put on Beca's face.

Once Beca steps into the foyer the older Conrad wraps her into a warm hug that if she wasn't so fucked up would of made her instantly cry.

"It's good to see you too, Mama C." Beca says, pulling out of the hug. "Sorry we left without warning..."

Mrs Conrad waves her hand dismissively, "oh nonsense, I'm just glad your fame didn't make you forget about us. Lord knows we have always and will always wish you well."

Beca smiles, "where's Papa?"

"Oh you know him," Mama C pulls Beca to the couches and gestures her to sit. "Always working, he's at the auto shop working on cars."

Beca laughs slightly and looks around. The room is full of pictures from her childhood, "I'm surprised Stacie let you keep these up."

"I'm surprised you came here," Beca looks up to see Stacie leaning against the door way. She's in skinny jeans and a cropped boxed, maroon sweater.

"Stacie...hey," Beca gives a half hearted wave.

Mama C looks between the two, "well I'll leave you two to it."

"Thanks for not hating me, Mama." Beca says, lamely.

"Course not, baby." She smiles heartedly at Beca and then leaves.

Stacie sits down on the couch her mother was sitting in before, "did you come here to make sure you still have my parents vote?"

"Stacie-"

"Why are you here? You wanted nothing to do with me for four years and suddenly I can't seem to go anywhere without you showing up." She crosses her arm over her chest.

"You found _me_ yesterday!"

"I've been going there consecutively for years after you brought me there in high school but you wouldn't know that, would you?"

"Look-"

"Just save it." Stacie says, getting up.

"No!" Beca says so fiercely that Stacie sits back down with wide eyes. "I...I'm sorry. Look, I came here to apologize. Leaving you like that was a mistake I can never take back. I was young and I didn't believe in happy ending, I still don't. I figured you'd break my heart or I'd break yours eventually so I didn't think much about it when I made my decision to leave."

"You couldn't of predicted that, I loved you more than anything or anyone ever. I wouldn't of broken your heart without a really fucking good reason." Stacie shoots back, her voice so cold Beca shivers.

"I know that now." Beca says, "I don't expect you to take me back or even forgive me but there's no changing the past and I couldn't think of anything to do other than apologize for what I did to you."

"I loved you so much."

"Well, you clearly moved on." Beca says, she's not bitter...Stacie deserves to love someone worthy and Beca isn't, she never was.

Stacie gives her an incredulous look, "what makes you think that?"

"You have a child." Beca points out as if it was obvious. "Aren't you married to the father?"

"It's 2016 Beca, guys aren't as chivalrous as they used to be." She looks at Beca for a long second and then adds, "and apparently neither are girls."

Beca shakes her head, she feels the tiny buzz at the base of her neck. The un-itchable itch is back. Beca's leg starts bouncing up and down. If Stacie notices she doesn't comment.

Suddenly Beca blurts, "can I meet her?"

"Courtney?" Stacie asks.

"No, you're dog."

"You want to meet Bella?" Stacie asks, feigning confusion.

"Stacie don't be an ass."

"Hey, I may have forgiven you but let's go easy on the insults." Stacie says, smirking at Beca's surprised face.

"You forgive me?"

"Becs, I will always forgive you for your idiocy. I'm not saying I wasn't pissed at you because I was. I burned half the shirts I stole from you-"

"Wha-"

"Let me finish." Stacie says, putting up her hand. "I was so mad, it was rage, rage, rage the first year after you left me with nothing but that stupid note saying where you were. But after I had drunkenly had sex with a guy that looked so much like you I'm pretty sure I called him Beca and got pregnant with Courtney, I was just too exhausted to harbour all that anger. The little I did manage to keep disappeared as soon as I laid eyes on Courts. I realized I had to do things with my daughter in mind. I wouldn't want her to hold grudges so I let mine go. I loved you and I still love you."

Beca blushes causing Stacie to add, "albeit in a completely different way than back in high school, I still care about you. When you OD'd...I was so scared. You were drinking last night, are you relapsing back into old ways?"

Beca shakes her head, "that was just one night. Coming back to Barden was hard."

That was a lie. Beca never recovered enough in the first place to even have a relapse. She was always, is always drinking or getting high secretly. She'd gone two weeks sober at rehab but since than it' been one, two, three or four days clean until the itch got too overwhelming. Then she'd use and live that cycle over and over again.

"I would think so...I'm glad you're back. I missed you." Stacie whispers.

"I missed you too Stace." Beca smiles her Beca Mitchell smile. "To bad Aubrey doesn't feel the same way."

"Oh yeah, that girl can hold a grudge."

Beca nods, "so can I meet Courtney?"

"Yeah, we can pick her up from kindergarten together. It ends at three. In the mean time," Stacie grins at Beca. "We have four years of some serious catching up to do."

It's only when the alarm on Stacie's phone goes off do they realize it's 10 to and they should probably take off. Beca really enjoyed reacquainting with Stacie. Laughing and talking like they did made Beca feel like they were young again and no time had passed. For awhile the itch had gone away. She felt like she did before she was famous.

Waiting for Courtney to come out of school is more nerve racking than releasing her first album and Stacie must see it on Beca's face.

"She's four years old," Stacie looks at Beca. "She'll love you."

"I'm not nervous," Beca lies.

Stacie chuckles, "I never said you were."

Before Beca could respond a small brunette came racing over to them, "MOMMY!"

Beca stood frozen. The girl looked like Beca. Sure there were some differences but mainly this girl...Courtney, looked very much like Beca did when she was four.

Stacie picks her up and swing her around, "hey baby, how was school?"

"So good," the girl tells her mom enthusiastically, "I read a book today all by myself."

"All by your _self_?" Stacie asks, astonished.

Beca watches quietly to the side as Courtney nods and her mom sets her down.

Stacie crouches in front of her daughter an then sticks a hand out backwards grabbing the hem of Beca's shirt and pulling her closer to them, "this is Beca, my very good friend."

Courtney beams at Beca, "hi I'm Courtney."

She holds up four fingers, "I'm four!"

Beca crouches next to Stacie, "Hey kid, good to meet you."

Stacie rolls her eyes, probably at how robotic Beca's being. It's not her fault, she has just never hung out with a little kid before.

"Can you pick me up?" Courtney asks Beca.

Beca looks at Stacie, "um..."

"She can," Stacie tells her daughter.

So Courtney wraps her tiny arms around Beca's neck and Beca stands, placing a protective arm around the small girl.

" _Awwwh_ ," Stacie drawls, "this is adorable Becs. Here...let me just..." She grabs her cellphone and holds it up to take a picture.

Beca does her celebrity smile and Courtney scream, "cheese!"

They head over to Stacie's apartment instead of going to Mama Conrad's place and lounge around there for a while. Beca enjoys it. She loves hanging out with Stacie but really it's Courtney that she's fallen in love with. They play games and Beca sings to her which they quickly find out is Courtney's favorite thing.

It's around five and Courtney's fallen asleep on the couch with her head on Beca's lap. Stacie is getting ready for what she calls a hangout but to Beca it looks more like she's getting ready for a date.

"I know you just met Courtney but could you watch her tonight?" Stacie asks putting her earrings on. "I'll leave you my extra keys."

Beca nods sending a text to cancel dinner with Jesse, "can I take her out somewhere?"

"Yes but you have to take her back to my moms before seven and don't do anything stupid with her. No drugs. No alcohol. No swearing." Stacie says sternly.

"Wow, you think that low of me?"

"I'm just covering the bases."

Beca picks up Courtney and cradles her in her arms, "I wouldn't do anything like that."

"Good." Stacie checks the time. "I should go now."

She walks over and kisses a still asleep, Courtney's forehead and then Beca's cheek, "be good."

"Yes mom," Beca rolls her eyes as Stacie leaves shutting the door behind her.

Beca decides to take Courtney to the abandoned park after she wakes up but then Beca gets impatient and gently shakes the four year old awake.

"Where's mommy?" Courtney drowsily asks, rubbing her eyes.

"Out, but don't worry little dude, I got you."

Courtney giggles, "lil dude"

Beca grins in triumph, "that's right."

Grabbing her grey, Nike baseball jacket and Courtney's little dark blue, parka and walks out to the Cadillac strapping Courtney in the backseat. She starts the car and drives the short distance to the play ground.

When they get out of the Cadillac, Beca puts the parka on Courtney, "come on, quit squirming."

"I don't wanna put it on," Courtney complains.

"Well, I don't want your mom bitc- uh, spazzing at me if you get sick." Beca crouches to Courtney's level.

The small brunette crosses her arms, "no!"

Beca sighs, "I'll put mine on if you put your on."

"I want _yours_."

Beca grins, "you have a good sense of style kid."

"Here," she wraps the jacket around the little girls shoulders and it covers her entire body so Beca picks her up. "There, happy?"

Courtney giggles and presses a kiss to Beca's cheek.

"Well, you're definitely your mothers," Beca chuckles.

"Do you wanna hear 'bout the book I read today?"

While Courtney discusses the finer details of her book about some caterpillar growing into a beautiful butterfly, Beca walks towards the park.

She stops seeing legs in a laying down position. It's dark and Beca wants to see more of what it is but also not wanting Courtney to see incase it would harm her in anyway she jogs back to the Cadillac and puts Courtney in the back.

"Stay here," Beca tells her. "I'll be right back I promise."

Courtney nods.

Beca locks the door and tugs it to see if it would open, it doesn't. She runs back over to the park and slowly approaches the legs.

What she sees is horrific. A boy not older than sixteen laying in front of the swings a needle stuck in his arm, face covered in vomit. The way his eyes are open, cold, empty and unblinkingly staring back at her, Beca knows he's dead.

The itch comes back full force and a single thought repeats itself in her head:

 _Could of been me. Could of been me. Could of been me. Could of been m_ e. _Could of been me._

She throws up right there next to the body.

 _Could of been me._

She's not aware she's crying until she taste the salt of her sadness in her mouth.

 _Could of been me._

She fumbles for her phone and dials the police.

 _Could of been me._

She reports the body to the dispatcher.

 _Could of been me._

She gives her statement to the cops.

 _Could of been me._

Walks back to the Cadillac.

 _Could of been me._

Drives Courtney to the Conrad's place.

 _Could of been me._

Drops Courtney off at the door.

 _Could of been me._

"Beca, you okay? You're looking a little pale." Mama C asks her.

Beca nods and stumbles back to the vehicle.

 _Could of been me._

Drives back home.

 _Could of been me. Could of been me. Could of been me._


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: In order for this chapter to make sense I have to write in Beca's perspective at the beginning and then continue with Chloe's**.

Beca Mitchell

Jesse placed a cup of coffee in front of Beca. She didn't go to bed last night, she just sat at the kitchen table staring at the wall.

Jesse sighs, "after just two days of being in Barden, I'm starting to think we made the wrong decision coming back."

"You think?" Beca rolls her eyes. "What did you expect? That shit would just be exactly how we left it?"

"Okay, whoa Becs," he holds his hands up in surrender. "Don't bite my head off. I'm sorry."

"Pass me my laptop," Beca says ignoring his apology. Jesse hands it to her. She does a search on 'dead body found in Barden'. All that comes up though is her. She's everywhere.

'Celebrity Beca Mitchell finds body in the park'

'Everyone's favorite troublemaker musician has been located due to a local boy's death'

Beca wanted to throw her laptop across the room. What about the boy? Who was he? Did he have a family? What drove him to do this? Beca almost did that. She was face down backstage with vomit all over her face, her body unconscious but Jesse found her. Found her before she had the chance to share the same fate as that boy. The tabloids were all over it, saying what they thought they knew about what had happened. But no one was talking about this boy or how they can prevent kids from doing drugs and killing themselves. No one was talking about how to get help.

Something snapped inside of Beca, her career had become more than about just the music ever since she took her first pill.

It doesn't matter anymore. Everything she does will be connected to her stupid OD. She's over it. She's always going to be just as good as that mistake. It didn't matter if she got clean or changed her ways because everyone watching either didn't care or secretly didn't want her to. Who wants a reformed celebrity when they can have a reckless, drug addled one.

Beca will give them what they want. She doesn't care about the consequences. What consequences? She's famous everyone will praise her with magazine covers and interviews just to be near her. They want her to do stupid, reckless things so that they can live vicariously through her.

Beca isn't afraid. Not of death, not of drugs, not of failure. Beca doesn't care. She will do what she wants, let the paparazzi watch.

Beca gets up from the table and checks the time: 9:26 am.

"Where you going?" Jesse asks.

Beca looks at him, "to do what I want."

Still in yesterday's baseball jacket and ripped jeans she storms out the house.

"Beca I swear, if you do something stupid-" Jesse starts to say but Beca's already gone.

And then it doesn't matter.

Chloe Beale

Chloe is sitting on the stool behind the counter inside The Sweet Shop, bored out of her mind as usual. Ever since her encounter with Beca everything else in life seems duller. It's not a feeling Chloe's used to. She loves things, small things make her happy but they just don't seem to be doing the job for her anymore. With Beca even if the brunette was freaking out things seemed brighter more alive and Chloe reveled in that feeling.

Chloe turned on the radio and immediately the radio host started talking about a boy found dead in a park.

"So according to police a dead body was found in the park by get this, Beca Mitchell."

Chloe's heart lurches at the name but then she registers what happened. _Beca had found a dead body?_

The brunette must be in shock.

Chloe turns off the radio wishing she had a way to contact Beca or even Jesse.

The door bells chime as someone walks in.

"Good morni..." Chloe's voice falls away when she sees Beca walking towards her.

She barely has enough time to register what's happening when Beca puts her hand on the counter's small latch door and hops over it.

Chloe gets off her stool but Beca keeps coming until Chloe's back is pressed against the wall and Beca is an inch away from her.

Chloe involuntarily whimpers, "Beca?"

Beca looks intensely at her for a moment and then pushes her lips against Chloe's. Chloe is so shocked that she doesn't kiss back for a few seconds. Then she allows Beca to kiss her for a bit longer because, God, kissing Beca is like tasting heaven. But when the brunette tries to deepen the kiss Chloe pushes her back gently.

"Beca, what...what're you doing?" Chloe asks, softly. She wants to let the brunette know that she was okay with kiss but she wasn't okay with how Beca had just stormed in and basically forced it on her.

"Kissing you," she says in a tone that makes it seem so obvious.

"Beca," Chloe pushes her back more so they aren't touching. "You can't just do that."

"Why not?"

Chloe sighs, "seriously? Because one, what if I didn't want to and two, we're in a public place where I work."

Beca shrugs, tracing her finger along the counter that she's now leaning on.

"What if Aubrey was here?"

That seems to get to her, she starts fidgeting, "I...is she?"

"No, she comes in and takes over my shift at noon." Chloe tells Beca. "Do you want to wait with me? We can talk after my shift."

Beca shakes her head, "no, I don't want to see Aubrey."

Chloe doesn't plan on taking no for an answers, "you'll only see her for a minute while we change shifts, please Beca?"

 _Please. Please. Please._

Beca's eyebrows furrow, "okay."

Chloe stops herself from squealing in joy, "okay. You can sit on the floor here." She gestures to the space beside her stool. Chloe could've sent her to the lounge room but she'd much rather have Beca as close as possible. "Do you want something to do or can you entertain yourself?"

Beca sits down cross legged, her back against the counter, "can't I just talk to you?"

Chloe smiles, "yes, of course you can."

Chloe sits back on her stool. She thinks that Beca today is much different than the Beca she met the first time. This version of Beca seems to care less about the world and consequences where as the other one seemed cautious and afraid.

Chloe wants to ask Beca about the kiss and if she's okay about finding a dead body but something tells Chloe that those topics will set her off and Chloe can't deal with a breakdown properly in the shop right now.

"So Beca, I don't know much about you." That's a lie, she knows everything that the internet and Aubrey had to say about her but Beca doesn't need to know that. "Tell me something."

"What's to tell? I'm famous. I abandoned the only people that ever loved me. I did drugs." Beca bluntly tells Chloe.

Chloe looks down at Beca to see the girl had her eyes squeezed shut, "what's your favorite color?"

Beca's quiet for a second then she opens her eyes to meet Chloe's, "cerulean."

Chloe looks away to hide her blush and doesn't look down again until Beca asks, "what's yours?"

Chloe shrugs, "I like them all."

They go on like this back and forth only stopping when a customer comes in or when Beca just blanks and stares at the wall. Chloe knows she's thinking about seeing the body so she gives Beca her moment.

At five to noon Chloe starts to get nervous, she's not sure how meeting Aubrey is going to effect Beca but she's sure she won't let Aubrey hit Beca again.

Aubrey walks in and smiles at Chloe, "hey Chlo'."

Chloe looks down at Beca who seems to have stiffened at the sound of Bree's voice.

"Hey Bree, um.." Aubrey opens the latch door and her eyes immediately drop to Beca.

"What is _she_ doing here?"

Beca gets up, "I'll leave."

"No Beca, don't go," Chloe says, grabbing her hand as support but really to make sure Beca doesn't run. "Aubrey, she was just waiting for me. e're going to leave now. I'll see you at home, okay?"

"Don't say I didn't warn you that she's a mess, Chloe." Aubrey glares at Beca.

Beca stares right back at her.

Chloe squeezes Beca's hand lightly, she doesn't get what Aubrey's problem is. Yeah Beca left her but hasn't Beca been through enough? She loves Aubrey and gets that Beca hurt her, Chloe isn't okay with that but Beca is also hurt. It's obvious even though she doesn't act like it. They both need healing and neither of them will get it if Bree continues to be hostile and Beca refuses to talk.

Chloe turns to Beca, "I'm going to go get my jacket, wait here."

Once Chloe let's go of Beca's hand, a flash of first day Beca emerges but then quickly vanishes.

Chloe walks into the lounge grabs her jacket and walks back. When she puts her hand on the door knob she stops hearing Aubrey's voice.

"Beca if you hurt Chloe in anyway so help me God, you better hope your drugs kill you first."

Chloe's eyes widen but she doesn't open the door.

Beca's voice comes next, "fuck you Aubrey. You can explain to Chloe why I left."

Chloe opens the door quickly and Beca turn, her eyes land on Chloe. "I hope you weren't leaving."

Beca's eyes shoot to Aubrey's and Aubrey looks away, "nope."

"Good, let's go." She grabs Beca's hand again and pulls her out the door with a quick wave to Aubrey. Aubrey just shakes her head.

"Sorry about Aubrey," Chloe says as soon as they hit the sidewalk.

Beca shrugs, "It doesn't bother me."

"Where do you want to go?"

Beca shrugs again and then takes her hand out of Chloe's. Chloe frowns Beca must see it because she says, "I don't know if you noticed but I have a tendency to fidget."

"I've noticed, why is that?"

"Um, a lot of reasons but I kind of have the feeling you want to talk about something else." Beca says.

"Yeah I guess, how're you feeling?"

Beca looks at Chloe, Chloe reads the expression on her face as a little surprised and a bit confused. They walk quietly for a bit until the reach the end of the side walk. Beca sits down on the curb and Chloe sighs thinking that Beca won't answer the question.

The Beca looks at her, "sit with me?"

"On the curb?"

"Why not?"

Chloe not wanting to lose her chance to talk to Beca, sits down next to the brunette, "happy?"

"Not in a long time."

Chloe frowns but doesn't say anything. They both don't talk for a while. They just watch the cars drive past them. Chloe thinks that this is what she'd choose if she was given a choice. She'd always choose to just be with Beca even if they don't talk. It's weird to have these feelings for a girl she's just met. The feelings are intense and reckless kind of like Beca herself.

"I kissed you because that's what I wanted to do. You stayed with me to make sure I was okay and I'm just a stranger. You've been stuck in my head since then. I kissed you because I knew it would clear my head. That's why I kissed you." Beca says, in a way that makes Chloe think that she's realizing it as she's saying it.

Chloe shakes her head, "I didn't ask you why."

"Yeah but you wanted to." Beca looks at her. "Was it okay?"

"The kiss? Yes, it was more than okay. I was just a little surprised by it." Chloe admits.

Beca's leg starts bouncing up and down and up and down, "Aubrey's not lying when she said I was a mess."

"Beca-"

"No, hear me out. I am crazy, I'll be the first to admit that. And if you want to, I would like to, um, hangout with you...more." She starts tapping her fingers on the sidewalk. "When I'm around you, you make me feel...sane."

Chloe's heart melts that's the sweetest compliment she's ever gotten.

"Of course I'd like to, Becs."

Beca's nose crinkles, probably at the nickname, "Becs?"

"Don't like it?"

"No it's-Stacie calls me that."

"Oh, is that weird for you?" Chloe asks not wanting to make Beca uncomfortable.

"No it's fine, it sounds normal coming from you."

Chloe can't help but grin. This is a Beca she never seen before. She's not completely relaxed but more so than anything Chloe had witnessed. "Give me your phone."

Beca hands it to her.

There's no password and the background is an old picture of her and Jesse on a Ferris wheel. She puts herself in Beca's contacts and then texts herself to get Beca's number.

Handing the phone back to Beca she says, "in case you're ever feeling insane."

Beca gives her a half lipped smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

Beca Mitchell

Hanging out with Chloe is beyond wonderful. It keeps Beca's mind off the itch and off the body. She still gets the itch but then she calls Chloe or even better Chloe calls her and then the itch leaves and Beca feels a moment of temporary yet blissful sanity.

She hangs out with Stacie and Courtney a bunch too. She loves them. The familiarity of being with Stacie and the unconditional love and admiration she gets from Courtney is a winning combination. Beca loves Courtney, a fierce love that she has never felt before, a love that quickly becomes the only thing Beca is afraid of. Not so much the love but having it taken away from her.

She hits up her personal studio a couple times to but never comes up with anything album worthy. That pisses her off. She's supposed to be here for the music but other things and her addiction keeps getting in the way. Guess she should of thought of that before diving into the fucked up world of drugs.

She doesn't mend things with Aubrey and whenever they bump into each other when Beca drops Chloe off at their apartment or waits for her after her shift and few times at Stacie's, Aubrey always threatens to rip her throat off if she does anything to Chloe.

Beca doesn't plan on doing anything to hurt Chloe but she understands that Aubrey's worries are not unwarranted. Beca is fucked up she knows it. Aubrey's a smart girl if she thinks Beca's going to relapse and hurt Chloe, then there's a huge chance Beca might do exactly that.

She wouldn't do on it purpose though. She's trying to reduce the hurt factor by sticking to just friends with the redhead. It works for the most part but thanks to Beca's inability to control herself they still have that kiss looming over them. Sometimes when there's a lull in their conversations Beca wonders if Chloe's thinking about that moment because God knows Beca always is.

Beca gets a call and she picks up without bothering to look who it is, "hello?"

"Hey Beca," it's Jesse. "Where are you?"

Currently Beca's sitting on top of a cliff. Barden's peak point. It's a hiking trail that leads to a cliff that looks over all of Barden. Beca's Doctor had flown in for a check up and told her to start exercising more so Stacie recommended this place to her. It's wonderful, Beca runs it every morning and gets to the top just in time to see the sun come up. It's surreal.

"The cliff," Beca tells Jesse.

"Okay, can you stay up there until I text you?"

"Yeah sure, what's up?"

"Remember that incident that happened two weeks back?" He means the dead boy incident.

"How could I forget?"

"Good point, well this morning I spotted some paparazzi roaming around our building." Jesse says, his voice dripping with annoyance.

Beca sighs, she knew this was coming. "Alright dude, just text me after you deal with it."

Beca hangs up.

Of course they'd come now. Right when Beca was actually recovering. They wanted to ruin her life. She knew the world didn't want her to get better. Why was she even trying. She felt the itch start up at the base of her neck.

She texts Chloe. **Come to the Barden Cliff.**

Chloe responds immediately. **Why?**

Beca answers with. **The world wants me to relapse.**

Chloe texts back. **I'm coming, don't do anything stupid.**

Beca laughs. **Bring food.**

Beca clicks off her phone. It thrills Beca the way Chloe always responds right away. Chloe's proven that she cares and Beca knows she doesn't deserve it but Chloe makes her feel like she does.

Getting bored Beca stares at the buildings they all look so small and the people are nonexistent. All her worries are so small when she's up here. She gets lost looking at the town that raised her. The place she lived before LA took her in, chewed her up and spit her back out. A place where Chloe, Stacie and Courtney exists.

All of sudden somebody _thwacks_ Beca upside the head.

"What the hell?" Beca twists around rubbing the stinging spot and looking for the culprit.

Chloe stands there an adorable angry look on her face and one hand on her hip the other clasping a Starbucks tumbler and a paper bag, "don't say those things."

"What things?" Beca rubs her head harder. "Jesus Christ, Beale."

"Don't tell me you're going to relapse."

"Oh my God dude." Beca sighs, "did you bring any food?"

Chloe rolls her eyes, "of course that's all you care about."

"So did you?"

Chloe throws the paper bag at Beca. Beca catches it and smirks at Chloe. Chloe shakes her head and narrows her eyes at Beca.

"Chlo'," Beca says when Chloe won't stop glaring at her. "Please will you just sit with me? My morning was already ruined and I don't need you being mad at me just because of a stupid joke added on top of that."

Beca turns her head to face back over the town. When she hears Chloe sigh she knows she's won but Beca hides her smile.

Chloe sits down next to her and sips what Beca guesses to be coffee. Both their legs dangle off the cliff.

"So I guess none of the of the celebrities are getting into shit in LA because the paparazzi have finally touched down in Barden and are currently circling my apartment hoping to find me face down in an alley way somewhere."

"Are you trying to make me leave?" Chloe asks frowning.

"No, I'm just saying. They didn't come back to expecting to find me spending my time with a four year old child and the girl that's equally as sweet as the shop she co owns." Beca says, dryly.

Chloe looks at Beca, "the paparazzi can't force drugs down your throat, that's on you."

"I know."

"Becs, I'm begging you don't throw your progress away. Two weeks is a big deal. Everyone's proud of you." She's quiet before she adds, " _I'm_ proud of you."

Beca gives Chloe her Beca Mitchell smile, "what're you sipping?"

"Coffee, wants some?" Chloe holds the tumbler out for Beca to take. Beca does and sips it, the hot coffee burning her throat on its way down.

Beca checks her phone to see if Jesse has texted her yet.

"Have somewhere to be?" Chloe asks.

Beca nods, "I want to go see Courtney."

Beca had made Jesse order a baseball jacket just like Beca's own in Courtney's size since the girl refused to wear anything else when Beca was around. Beca also thought it'd be cute if she added the name Conrad on the back, so she did.

"You always see Courtney."

Beca smirks at Chloe's tone, "jealous?"

"Please, I'm not jealous of a four year old." Chloe says, picking at the grass that's on the cliff.

"Don't worry Chloe your still my best friend." Beca lightly punches Chloe's arm.

Beca's phone buzzes it's from Jesse. **All cleared for landing.**

Beca grins at her phone and the grabs Chloe's arm to help her up, "we're being let off early for good behavior."

Chloe scoffs, dusting off her leggings, "good behavior."

Beca knows Chloe's still angry at her comments about relapsing but Beca was only saying the truth. Messed up Beca is what the paparazzi wants and Beca had made a vow to herself that she'd give them exactly that.

Yeah, she knew her progress was really good she'd actually gone two weeks without any drugs entering her system but one pill here and there wouldn't kill her. And no one would have to know. She's still pretty carefree without the drugs so no one would assume any different if she did take a couple.

 _What is wrong with me?_

When they were a little less than half way down the mountain, which was probably 10 feet up from the ground Beca decides she'd just jump off. Chloe isn't talking to her so she wouldn't have to explain. Beca knows she can make it, she's done it before and it's just grass down there.

So she backs up and sees Chloe raise an eyebrow at her, "Bec-"

Before Beca can hear the rest of what Chloe has to say she is already hurtling towards the ground. For a fleeting moment that Beca isn't even sure is real Beca feels free. Like someone cut the strings off her puppet. Like she doesn't owe anyone anything.

It doesn't last long cause her body slams into the ground leaving her breathless. Not in the I'm so amazed that I can't manage to suck in oxygen but in a my lungs were squished and all the oxygen was scraped out of my body kinda way.

Beca's eyes roll around and she squirms a little squeezing her fist into the grass. She moves her foot and she's pretty sure it's sprained and her cheek bone is probably bruised.

"Beca!" she hears Chloe's scream and decides to play a trick on her. Beca stills herself which for her to do is really really tough.

"Beca, oh my God!" She feels Chloe's hands slowly turn her over. She feels her head in Chloe's lap.

Beca struggles to keep a straight face.

"What the hell, your so stupid!" Chloe tells her. Beca's lip twitches and she prays Chloe didn't see.

Beca feels her breath coming back at her. It's probably Chloe checking to see if she's still alive.

Chloe's fingers graze her face and presses on the stinging spot on her cheek. Beca's sure she's about to have an aneurism trying to keep her face from contorting in pain.

She feels a drop of wetness fall just below her eye. Beca hopes it's rain and not Chloe crying.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Chloe asks. Her voice cracks and Beca knows she's crying. "Ever since I met you all I do is worry. Do you know what that's like?"

She laughs in a very unfunny way, "of course you don't, you don't even care about anyone, not even _yourself_."

Beca wants to open her eyes but she knows Chloe would lose it so she keeps them shut.

"You know Aubrey tells me every day that you're selfish and that you'll never care about me. That you only see me as an object that you use to...to pacify yourself."

Beca's heart trembles at hearing Chloe's watery voice say what's probably been stuck in her head since day one. Was Beca using Chloe as her pacifier? That seemed awful but also kind of like the truth.

"And I always refuse to believe it...maybe it's true. Maybe you are just selfish but it doesn't matter because I _know_ I'd do anything for you."

Beca feels Chloe's fingers run through her hair.

Another drop hits her face.

"I want you to be afraid of something. Of losing me, or failure or dying but you just don't care. None of this is important to you. You'd rather not have to deal with the real world. Oh my god this is so fucked up...because.."

Another drop.

"Maybe you're not worth it..."

She isn't. Beca's definitely not worth Chloe.

"But it's too late to go back because..."

Another drop.

"I think I'm in l-"

Beca fake coughs not wanting to hear anymore of what Chloe has to say.

"Nice of you to join the real world again." Chloe Beale is cut from ice. Her voice is so different from the vulnerable one she was using less than a minute ago. There are tears still on her face.

Beca does her best to act like she's coming out of being unconsciousness and it must work because Chloe seems convinced. Maybe she should of been an actress instead. The thought causes Beca to smile.

But Chloe can't read her thoughts so she takes it the wrong way, "you think this is funny?"

Beca sits up feeling a little wobbly.

"No. No that's not-are you crying?" Beca fakes not knowing.

Chloe goes to wipe the tears aways but Beca beats her to it and cups Chloe's face with both hand using her thumbs to brush away her tears.

"Chloe I'm fine," Beca says.

Chloe swallows, "you're infuriating."

There's no bite to the words though. Beca feels bad, her heart twists and her body hurts not just from the fall.

"It was pretty stupid of me to do that." Beca admits her hands still on Chloe's face.

Chloe just shakes her head making Beca's hands drop.

"Come on let's go." Beca takes Chloe's hand and helps her up. When she goes to let go Chloe holds tighter.

When they near Beca's apartment Beca spins Chloe around to face her. Chloe's startled Beca can tell by the look on her face.

"Look, I was an idiot for jumping, I didn't mean to make you cry. Are w-can we be good again?"

Chloe looks down at the pavement, "I have to get to work."

"Chloe."

The redhead turns and walks away.

"Chloe!" Beca shouts but she keeps walking.

Beca shakes her head and laughs. That's another constant during their hangouts. Beca will inevitably do something stupid and Chloe leaves angry. Things always mend just to break again.

When Beca unlocks the door to her apartment she finds it empty. Not wanting to be alone she texts Jesse. **Dude where are you?**

Ten minutes later Jesse responds. **Parents with Luke. Coming over?**

Beca responds with. **Totally.**

On her way to Jesse's she walks by The Sweet Shop and only sees Aubrey through the window. She tries not to be bothered. Chloe could just be in the back after all.

When she gets to Jesse's house she knocks on the door and is greeted by Mama and Papa Swanson.

"Beca, good to see you." Papa S says. He shakes her hand, always so formal.

Mama Swanson however pulls her into a hug, "you look older. LA have you stressed out?"

Beca just laughs, LA definitely had her something if by grown Mama S meant fucked up.

"Jesse and his British friend are downstairs...Liam?" Papa S scratches his beard. He literally looks like an older version of Jesse. If Jesse had a beard and glasses. Maybe the older version of Jesse would. Who's knows, only time can tell.

"Luke," Beca corrects. "Am I allowed to stay over for the night?"

"Of course, you don't have to ask." Mama S pats her arm.

Beca knows she doesn't, when she was seventeen and her dickhead father kicked her out, the Swanson had taken her in immediately. She was basically already living there before they just made it official when they'd signed the papers to become her guardians.

"Oh Beca, sweetie, Jonathan and I were actually just headed out to John's parents place but we'll back before lunch tomorrow, see you then?" Mama S asks, her hopeful expression answers her question for Beca.

"Of course."

Beca heads to the basement where Jesse and Luke are sitting on a couch in front of a tv with a box of vhs's on the floor next them. Their both sipping beers. When Jesse spots her he throws her a juice pouch.

Beca catches it, "seriously?"

"Yup," Jesse smirks.

"What happened to your face Becky?" Luke asks. Jesse looks over and frowns.

"Fell." Beca notices Luke looks weirdly tired and he's starting to fill out his beard more. "Whatcha watching?"

"Home videos shot by yours truly." Jesse bows to his imaginary audience. "Sit down and watch there hilarious."

Luke looks around, "where's the redhead?"

"She had to work," Beca sits on the love seat beside the couch her friends are on.

After of watching embarrassing clips of mostly herself and Jesse but some with Aubrey and Stacie, Beca gets bored.

She texts Stacie. **We're watching home movies at Jesse's, wanna come over?**

Stacie's response is immediate. **Do you want me to come over?**

Beca rolls her eyes. **Yes.**

Then Beca gets an idea, "hey Jess, can I invite Stacie, Bree and Chloe over?"

Jesse nods too preoccupied with his movies skills. Luke looks zoned out and Beca frowns, what's up with him?

Beca texts Stacie again. **Court?**

 **At my moms.** Stacie answers.

Beca texts. **Bring stuff to stay the night.**

Stacie texts. **Dibs on your bed.**

Beca laughs and is hushed by Jesse. **We can share.**

Stacie texts. **;)**

Beca smiles. **Invite Blondie too. I'll invite Chloe.**

Ten minutes later. **Okay...**

Beca briefly wonders what a sleep over with four, twenty one year olds and one British twenty five year old (that Beca is pretty sure is stoned) would be like...probably crazy which makes Beca like her idea a thousand times better.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: The italicized bit in this chapter is Chloe watching the home video. It's in no one's point of view. Hope that makes sense.**

Chloe Beale

Chloe knew she was in trouble when she found herself getting phone calls at one, two, three am by Beca asking Chloe to meet her by the railway or at her old high school's bleachers. Not just that though, she knew she was in trouble when she found herself more than willing to go.

These past two weeks have been the most frustrating weeks of Chloe's life. She wants to help Beca, yes, but she's losing herself in the process.

Chloe's never been one to hide her feelings but she's been doing that a lot lately, especially around Beca.

Pre-Beca Chloe would have never been jealous but she's finding herself glaring at every girl that stares just a little too long at the brunette.

She knows she's in trouble when she gets a text from Beca asking her to meet her at Barden's Peak Point and Chloe couldn't get out of the apartment fast enough.

Little did she know that not to long after arriving Beca would idiotically hurl herself off the side of the cliff and Chloe would confess almost everything she's been keeping bundled up to the brunette's unconscious body.

But then Beca had been really sweet after, wiping away her tears and apologizing...well Beca's version of apologizing anyway. Beca had apparently stopped saying 'I'm sorry' ever since she apologized to Stacie, which Chloe had to painfully listen to Stacie gush about in front of an angry Aubrey and frankly, a jealous Chloe. Ugh, she hated this version of herself. The version being around Beca made her be.

The only solution Chloe can think of is to avoid Beca for a few days. A Beca cleanse. Just to feel normal again. There. It's decided Chloe will be on a Bec-cation. It'll be good for her.

Two hours later Chloe's in The Sweet Shop's office going through some papers when her phone buzzes.

It's Beca. **Chloe, I know I was an idiot. I'm the biggest jerk of all time for making you cry. I can't be without you. Please text me back.**

And then. **Chloe please...**

Finally. **There's an adult sleep over at the Swanson's, please come.**

Chloe sighs and decides to go find Aubrey, if there's anyone who can talk her out of going, it's the blonde.

But when she opens the door she finds Aubrey glaring down at her phone.

"You got a text from Beca too?" Chloe asks.

"No, Stacie."

Chloe frowns not at the fact that Stacie's texting invites to Beca's sleepover but the fact that she jealous that she isn't the one who's doing it. "Are you going to go to it?"

Aubrey shrugs, "probably."

Chloe's a little shocked, "what?"

"I asked if could invite some of our university friends and Stacie said Beca didn't care."

Chloe's rolls her eyes, of course Beca doesn't care.

One of the reasons Chloe moved to Barden was to attend its university for business. She was roomed with Aubrey who was sharing the same major. They clicked so well that they decided to move in together after they graduated and open The Sweet Shop. Which by the way is going so ridiculously well that their business profs would be so proud and a little jealous.

Aubrey continues, "the Swanson's house has enough space to hold us all and as gross and stupid as I think it is, Beca'll be there, don't you like love her?"

"I do not _love_ her!" Chloe protests. Lie.

" _Mhmm_."

"Bree I don't." Chloe says a little to sternly. Aubrey puts her hands up in surrender. "In fact I was planning on avoiding Beca for a few days."

To Aubrey's questioning look, she answers, "she infuriates me."

"Truth."

"So I was hoping you'd talk me out of going but since you're going _and_ taking our university friends with you I'm not just going to sit alone in our apartment." Chloe crosses her arms.

"Alright but I'll tell you again, Beca's not worth the mess."

"How can you say that?"

"Because I've basically lived with her for seventeen years and you've only known her for two weeks. People can't change in two weeks Chloe, no matter how hot the motivation is." Aubrey says, a teasing smile on her lips.

Well Aubrey sure seems to be in a good mood today.

"I'm not Beca's motivation."

"You sure are Beca's something."

Chloe sighs, "just say it."

"No it's okay, I think you know. I actually think you're starting to believe it."

"Bree."

Aubrey smile grows a bit more, "pacifier."

"Are you enjoying this?"

Aubrey shakes her head, "I enjoy being right. I don't enjoy you getting hurt and that's what's happening. Remember Tom?"

Chloe shivers. Tom was a boy kind of like Beca. Situational wise. If Chloe's being frank Beca's way hotter and a lot more troubled. Not that thats attractive. Tom was basically a nineteen year old alcoholic that Chloe tried to rehabilitate but since Chloe can't seem to keep her heart out of things she couldn't help but fall in love with him. The short version of the story is that he never got better and Chloe felt like it was her fault.

"Chlo' don't get mad at me for asking, but are you trying to compensate for not being able save Tom and your...your brother?" Aubrey face is dead serious.

Chloe swallows, _oh God_ , she didn't even want to think about that question right now so she just shakes her head. "I can't answer that right now."

"Fair enough."

Aubrey opens up her hands and Chloe walks straight into them.

At 7:45pm Chloe and Aubrey are standing outside the door of the Swanson household with backpacks over their shoulders, feeling like they're back in high school. Something tells Chloe that all of tonight is going to feel that way.

The door opens to reveal Beca with her hair down in its waves, a black and white plaid shirt and ripped jeans. Chloe tries not to stare too long.

"Hey," Beca says her eyes shamelessly roaming Chloe's body.

Chloe decided to go simple in dark blue sweatshirt with 'Barden' in yellow letters across her chest and leggings. Her hair in a ponytail.

"Hi," Chloe steps forward wrapping her arms around Beca's neck. Beca's hands encircle her waist.

Beca whispers so Chloe's sure only she can hear, "I'm glad you're here."

Chloe breaks the hug and nods. Beca looks at Aubrey and Chloe feels nervous for the both of them.

"Hello dude, thanks for coming." Beca drawls casually.

Aubrey looks at Beca, "yup."

Then she's grabbing Chloe's hand and before Chloe knows it is leading her to the basement. Chloe's been here before. Stacie and Aubrey take her along when they go for thanksgiving back before she knew Jesse and Beca even existed. Now that she thinks of it she finds it weird that no one mentioned them.

When they get to the basement Chloe sees Jesse, a blonde guy and her two friends Jessica and Ashley already there sipping beers.

"Hey hey," Jesse says from his spot on the couch. "Wanna beer?"

Aubrey takes one but from Jessica and not Jesse. Jesse just shrugs and hold one out to Chloe.

Chloe starts to shake her head but the blonde guys who's apparently British says, "no point in saying no, Beca's drinking too."

"Beca's drinking?" She gives Jesse a disappointed look.

Jesse shrugs, "she's with us so she can't get into any trouble."

Chloe takes the bottle, "so what's the plan?"

Jesse shrugs again, "I think we're waiting for the rest of your friends to get here."

"Where's Stacie?" Aubrey asks no one specifically. Chloe shrugs.

Jesse answers, "upstairs."

"With Beca?" The blonde guy asks.

Jesse wiggles his eyebrows in a suggestive way. Chloe has to stop herself from throwing her beer at his head.

Chloe takes a seat in between Aubrey and Jessica and finally sips her beer. There's a video on so Chloe focuses on that and not what Stacie and Beca could be doing upstairs.

 _The camera swings around showing one of many open fields in Barden. It focuses in on 16 year old Beca, Aubrey and Stacie sitting on a picnic blanket._

 _"Put down the camera and eat a sandwich Jesse." Aubrey playfully demands._

 _Jesse's hand sticks out from behind the camera and he grabs the sandwich. There some static burst as he moves around._

 _"Jesse just put it on the stand." Beca's voice says but the cameras pointed at the sky._

 _There's more movement and then the camera is steady and a spiky haired Jesse is now in the video. He takes a bite out of the sandwich and waves at the camera._

 _"Your such a tool," Beca rolls her eyes at him. She's wearing a white T-shirt and black shorts. Similar to Jesse who's wearing but he's wearing a grey top instead. Stacie's in a short sundress and Aubrey's wearing a pink blouse tucked into jean shorts._

 _"You guys are going to thank me later."_

 _"When?" Aubrey asks, opening a pop can and handing it to Beca._

 _"When we're all eighty and Beca and Stacie's grandkids want to see what we did for fun and you," he points at Aubrey, "will be like 'thank god for Jesse's films because we can do one better and show you'."_

 _"Jesse's films sounds like a porn website." Beca deadpan._

 _Stacie hits Beca's chest and smiles at Jesse, "don't listen to them I think it's cute Jesse."_

 _"Thank you," the two fist bump, "why can't you be more like your girlfriend?"_

 _"Why can't you get a girlfriend?" Beca shoots back._

 _They all laugh. And Beca leans over placing a kiss on Stacie's lip. It's light and full of love._

Chloe finishes her beer and goes to grab another but someone puts a hand on hers effectively stopping her. It's Aubrey.

The tv clicks off and Chloe turns her head to look who did it.

Beca's standing there with the remote in her hand, "well that was awkward."

Chloe wants to laugh at the redness in Stacie's and Jesse's cheek but she doesn't.

Jessica and Ashley look completely confused to the tension in the room and the weird thing is Chloe should be exactly like they are: unaware.

But she isn't and thought makes her want to drink more but Aubrey won't let go of her hand.

Then Ashley opens her mouth and asks, "are you two still together?"

Now Beca's cheeks redden and Chloe's about done with this stupid sleep over.

The doorbell rings and the moment is broken when Chloe stands up, "I'll get it!"

She hears Beca saying she'll go too but Chloe throws a loud no over her shoulder while running up the stairs. It must work because when she reaches the door the brunette is no where in sight.

Chloe opens the door and all her friends are there, Fat Amy, Cynthia Rose, Denise, Flo and Lily. After greeting them all with hugs, Chloe brings them downstairs and Aubrey starts to introduce them to Beca, Jesse and the blonde guy, who shouts that his name is Luke to all the new guests.

Aubrey finally gestures to Fat Amy, "and this is-"

"Dude!" Beca shouts getting off from her spot on the couch. "Fat Amy, holy shit!"

"Shawshank?" Making everyone in the room squint at her in confusion. "Jesus, it's a small world."

Chloe watches on as the two of the preform a lengthy and complicated hand shake that ends with Beca calling Amy 'Patricia' and Amy putting "butt confidence" on Beca.

"You guys know each other?" Aubrey asks, her voice is over exaggerated with disinterest.

"Yeah she's the best mermaid dancer in all of Tasmania...with teeth."

Aubrey rolls her eyes.

"We met in Australia when I was on tour two years back. Amy bailed me out." Beca hands Amy a beer.

"You actually went to Australia?" Aubrey asks Amy.

"Yeah, I told you guys."

Chloe shrugs, "we thought it was just one of your stories."

Beca looks offended for Amy which makes Chloe want to laugh.

"Yeah," Aubrey continues. "We thought you were just with one of your boyfriends."

"Unbelievable you two." Beca says but she's looking at Chloe and she's grinning.

Chloe finds herself smiling back. What was she thinking? There is no possible way Chloe could ever stay away from Beca. That's how Chloe knew she was in trouble.


	9. Chapter 9

Beca has to admit that watching everyone do round after round of alcohol is uncomfortable. Sure Jesse had said she was aloud to drink but Beca didn't want to over do it so she only sipped two bottles for most of the night.

Beca's not drunk enough for the round of truth or dare Stacie puts together so it's more than awkward when she's dared to slow dance with Chloe to the Titanic theme song (try and guess who's dare that was). She felt every second of Chloe sloppily wrapping her arms around her neck and biting her lips whenever her feet would fumble and Beca would tighten her grip on the drunk redheads waist to steady her. Chloe won't remember though.

Currently everyone's is cluttered into a clear space in the basement, bumping and grinding against each other. Beca doesn't join in despite both Stacie, Amy and Chloe trying to pull her in. Instead she sits on the couch with a third unopened beer in her hand.

Beca isn't drunk but she's definitely not sober enough to drive but she grabs Luke's keys anyway. Before she leaves she finds Jesse and tell him she's going for a drive.

"You sure?" He asks, his breath alone is enough to get someone hammered.

"Yeah, I'll be back in a bit."

Jesse nods and then slurs, "you're missing out."

Oh the inebriated. Sober Jesse would have vehemently denied Beca to drive herself around somewhat intoxicated at 2:00 am but he isn't. So it's kind of a blessing.

Beca grabs her black bomber jacket and a couple of beers and leaves the basement with one last look at Chloe. She's grinding against Luke who doesn't bother to hide the lust in his eyes.

Beca feels a pinch of emotion she'd rather not feel. She wants to trash Luke's apartment or his face but she knows she's being unreasonable. Chloe isn't hers, she can dance with however many guys and girls as she wants. Beca hits her hand against the wall. _Fuck_.

She jogs upstairs and doesn't stop until she's behind the front seat of Luke's Escalade.

She drives around for a bit, there's no one on the road but she feels like she's going too slow so she drives to the high way and then guns the engine. She shoots forward and wants to scream with pleasure but finds herself quickly stomping on the breaks. It's too quick for her slightly intoxicated brain but she manages to stop.

On the side of the road there's a girl, a teenager Beca thinks. She's pacing the highway and teetering a bit on to the road. Beca doesn't owe this kid anything so she could just drive away but she finds herself thinking about what she would want someone to do if they found Courtney teetering on the side of a highway. Not that Beca would ever let that happen.

So she pulls over and hops out her vehicle grabbing the three beers on her way.

* * *

Chloe Beale

"Has anyone seen Beca?" Chloe asks. It's pointless though because everyone's wasted or well on their way there

Chloe walks over to Jesse and shakes his arm, "have you seen Beca?"

Jesse shakes his head then looks at Chloe like he's trying hard to figure something out, "oh yeah. She said she was going for a drive."

"A _drive_?" Chloe screeches. "Please tell me you didn't let her go! She drank!"

Jesse shrugs, "oh well."

Chloe wanted to slap drunk Jesse. He doesn't care about anything when he's intoxicated.

She walks over to Aubrey almost in tears, "Bree."

Aubrey turns away from her conversation with Jessica, "yeah Chlo', what's up?"

"Beca went for a drive."

Aubrey looks at her like why would she care if Beca went driving but then it hits her, "shit, seriously?"

Chloe nods, "what should we do?"

Aubrey runs a hand through her hair, "I don't think there is anything we can do."

"Should we call the cops?"

"No, are you crazy?" Aubrey ask incredulously. "Calling the cops will get Beca in trouble and didn't you say the paparazzi were buzzing around? If they get a hold of news saying Beca's drunk driving, everything will go to shit for her."

"You're right. This sucks, none of us can go get her." Chloe thinks for a second. "What about her driver?"

Aubrey shakes her head, "Luke is her driver."

"Fuck. Should we call her?" Chloe asks taking out her phone.

Aubrey shakes her head again, "no Stacie has her phone."

A shot of jealousy run through her veins, "what? Why?"

Aubrey raises an eyebrow, "that is seriously not the issue right now."

Chloe huffs and crosses her arms over her chest.

"How many drinks did Beca have?"

"Um...like two when we were playing those games but I don't know if she drank anymore when we were dancing...fuck I should of hung out with her instead of dancing." Chloe feels worse and worse every second.

"Chlo'," Aubrey grabs her hands in her own. "Beca will be fine. You need to stop worrying, she'll come home...Beca always does."

* * *

Beca Mitchell

"Hey kid," Beca says approaching the girl.

"Hey," the girl sniffs. Beca thinks she looks about seventeen even though she's taller than Beca. She has a tan complexion, brown hair and a face that screams innocence. "Was I distracting you by walking around?"

"Nah, I'm not having that great of a night either." Beca shrugs. "What's your name?"

The girl wipes her tears away, "Emily."

"Beca Mitchell," Beca sticks out her hand. The teen just grabs Beca into a hug. "Uhh..."

"Sorry, I'm having a bad nig-wait did you say Beca Mitchell?"

"I did yes."

"Like as in the producer?"

"Yeah most people don't recognize that name though." Beca smiles at the thought of the teen knowing who she is.

"Wow, you're my idol!" Emily squeaks. "This is amazing."

"Wow, well lucky I happened to drive by, huh?"

"This is amazing." Emily repeats.

Beca chuckles and then sits down on the curb, "sit with me."

Emily sits beside her and Beca offers the teen a beer, "are you underage?"

"Yeah but I was drinking at a party earlier tonight anyway..." Emily takes the beer and struggles with the cap. Beca takes it back and twists it open for her. "Thanks."

Beca nods, "so what has you walking the highway at 2?"

"I had a fight with my mom," Emily says her voice cracking.

"Oh, that sucks."

Emily sips her beer and Beca feels highly immoral giving a sad teen alcohol but she really doesn't know how to handle this situation. She bets Chloe would know but Chloe's not here. Chloe's with Luke.

"What made your night awful?" Emily asks.

"Um, well a girl I kinda like was with some guy...my driver actually." Beca admits.

"Oh." Is all Emily says.

"I guess I really can't complain since I don't have claim on her, you know?"

Emily shakes her head, "I don't but okay."

Beca takes a swig, "what was the fight with your mom about?"

Emily shrugs, "she wants me to go to college and yeah I do want to follow in her foot prints and be a Barden Bella but I also want to kick start my career as a singer and move to LA."

Beca freezes, she's suddenly jolted back four years ago when she was facing that same decision.

"Look, Emily I know it seems more appealing to go to LA right now but four years down the line you're going to wish you went to Barden. I can't tell you what to do but personally I'm with your mom on this one. I know a few Bella's actually, you'd fit right in."

Emily looks surprised, "didn't expect that from you."

"Me neither, kid." Beca looks up at the sky and realizes the time. "Can you call someone to take you home? I would but well I've had a few drinks and if I was on my own I'd risk it but I can't put your life in that kind of danger."

Emily pats her pockets, "sugar, must've left it at that party."

Beca does the same remembering she asked Stacie to hold her phone, "damn me too."

"Now what?"

Beca thinks for a second, "if you promise me that you'll never talk to a stranger that pulls over in the middle of night and offers you beer ever again, I'll walk you home."

"I promise but I can't say I regret talking to you."

Beca smiles because she doesn't regret pulling over either. Jesus with the kids though. First Courtney and now Emily.

They finally reach Emily's house about an hour later. Emily hugs Beca and goes inside and her mom comes to the door.

Beca sticks her hand out, "hi I'm Beca Mitchell, I found your daughter um she's had a few drinks and I thought I should bring her home."

The mom looks Beca over and Beca tries not to fidget. Then she grabs Beca's hand and gives it a firm shake, "thank you so much for bringing Em home. I'm Katherine Junk."

"I've heard you were quite the Bella." Beca says turning on her charm.

Mrs Junk blushes slightly, "oh well, thank you."

Beca gives Mrs Junk her number in case Emily ever wants to talk again.

"Is there anything I could do for you, to thank you?" Mrs Junk asks.

Beca starts to shake her head no but then changes her mind, "actually can make a call?"

"Yeah sure."

Beca dials the number on Mrs Junk's cellphone.

The person picks up on the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Chloe?"

"Oh my God, Beca! Where are you?"

Beca smiles at the concern in Chloe's voice, "um I'll explain later. I just wanted to hear your voice, my head got a blast from the past."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

There's some noise in the background and Beca's certain she hears Luke's voice. Anger erupts in her.

"I have to go."

"What? Beca wait. Talk to me. Are you coming back tonight?"

"Bye Chloe."

"Bec-"

Beca hangs up. She goes to hand the phone back over to Mrs Junk.

Mrs Junk places a hand on her shoulder, "how about you stay the night?"

Beca doesn't argue.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: This chapter going to be from Beca's point of view again. This is basically all Beca and Emily, I wanted to build more behind there (platonic) relationship**.

Beca wakes up to the sound of rain slamming against the window. When she opens her eyes she realizes that the rain hitting a window that she doesn't recognize and she's in a room that she doesn't know. Not that this would be the first time that has happened. From all the tours she's been on, the one night stands she's had and drugs she's done, waking up in a place she isn't familiar with is not even a tiny bit of a new occurrence.

Beca lifts her head and sees white sheets in a fairly plain room. There's no hot model naked beside her so this is not waking up after a one night stand.

 _Thank God_.

There's a knock on the door and Beca's heart seizes, shit. Maybe she spoke to soon. Then the door opens and a young brunette walks in the door and she remembers everything. Beca shuts her eyes and thanks God again.

"Good Morning Beca!" Emily chirps cheerfully. She's in a dark blue t-shirt and leggings. Her hair in a messy bun.

"Hey Em," Beca says, her voice raw with sleep. "How're you not hungover?"

Emily shrugs, "are you?"

Beca has a headache but she knows it not from the tiny amount of alcohol that she had. Even though she's little, she has drank a lot and has built up a pretty decent alcohol tolerance. "Not really."

"Do you want to go get breakfast? Mom said it was okay." Emily asks, she leans against the wall. She looks nervous.

"Don't you have, like, school?" Beca asks.

"It's Sunday. Do you have plans?"

I'm

Beca shakes her head but she does have plans. Lunch with the Swanson's but she doesn't want to go, so she says, "okay sure."

"Can we go to church first though?"

"What?" Beca hasn't been to church since she got kicked out of her house when she was seventeen. She's pretty sure that if she stepped into a church the floor would crack open and she'd fall to hell from the weight of all her sins.

"You know...church. I go to church." Emily looks a lot more nervous now. "We don't have to...never mind."

"No dude, sure I'll go to church with you." Beca says. The kid was so pure maybe God would forgive Beca if she stuck with Emily. "We're sitting at the pew in the back though."

"Sure! Thank you so much." Emily squeals. "Guess we'll eat breakfast here and then do lunch after church?"

"Yeah sure whatever," Beca scratches her head. "I need clothes for church though."

"I'll ask my mom!"

When Emily leaves, Beca shakes her head and chuckles.

When the doctor suggested going to Barden Beca pictured her, Luke and Jesse sitting in an apartment watching movies and making music. She didn't picture meeting Chloe, Courtney or the Junks. God's plan is not always clear but Beca's sure he has one hell of a ride planned for her.

Half an hour later Beca is all freshened up and dressed in a white collared shirt and black slacks. Mrs Junk had driven Beca's Escalade back to the house while Beca and Emily ate breakfast. She trusted the Junks. After all they go to church.

Emily's in a simple white, racerback A line dress that makes her look so innocent that Beca feels dirty just standing next to her.

They drive in the relentless rain to the church. Beca is surprised when the floor doesn't crack open. Emily says hey to a few people and then as promised they sit in the furthest pew back.

To keep herself a wake she thinks of Chloe. The way she smiles and laughs. The way she knows each customer personally and the way she goes over the top in a oblivious way, thanking them for buying chocolate bar. After countless thinking about Chloe her minds goes into thinking about Chloe with Luke. Grinding on Luke. Smiling at Luke. Laughing with Luke. And she feels an overwhelming sense of anger flow through her veins. She bounces her leg to stop herself from doing something stupid in church and embarrassing Emily. The poor kid doesn't need that.

It's hard but she manages to get through it and soon there back outside. The rain has let up but hasn't stopped completely either. It just sort of sprays down lightly.

In the parking lot Emily sticks her hands and looks at the sky, "I love the rain!"

Beca runs her finger along a dark blue car, "you know there's like no rain in LA, right?"

"You know there's no talent in Barden right?" Emily shoots back

"Hey! _I'm_ from Barden." Beca says, feigning hurt. "And you are too dude."

Emily doesn't answer. Beca decides right then to make it her mission to get Emily to go to University before LA.

"Come on," Beca says when they get to the Escalade. "I'm hungry."

They drive to a sandwich shop with Emily singing to every song on the radio. Beca thinks she has a nice enough voice. Nice enough to make it in LA right away but Beca will make sure she doesn't. Her voice can only get better with time and 21 is still young. She will go to university. She won't make the same mistakes Beca has.

They park and go into the shop. It's nice enough, very hipster-ish. Beca immediately thinks that Chloe would love the shop. The thought makes her buzz with restlessness. It's Chloe Chloe Chloe all the time. It used to be drugs drugs drugs. Right now it's not much of an improvement. Chloe just makes her want drugs. Chloe _is_ her drug. She shakes her head.

"You have a good voice." Beca tells Emily, trying to distract herself from her own thoughts but also meaning it.

Emily shrugs.

"You don't think so?"

"Why does it matter now anyway?" Emily asks, looking down at the table.

"It matters kid but your education matters too, your moms right. Go to Barden University. If you don't make it in LA, _I_ can always produce your songs."

Emily chews and swallows, "I want to make it on my own."

"Then you will." Beca takes a bite of her sandwich. "But after Barden."

Emily sighs.

"Beca?"

The voice makes her freeze. She turns in her seat to see her father in the same in his dark blue blazer and scuffed jeans...just five years older than the last time she saw him.

"I didn't know you were back in Barden." He says, his voice tells Beca he isn't lying.

"Didn't know you knew I left." She mutters he goes to say something but she adds, "it's been all over the news."

"Oh I see." He runs a hand over his stubbled chin. "Is this because of the stint you did in rehab?"

Beca rolls her eyes. Of course out of all her accomplishments her dad remembers her one mistake. Undoubtedly her biggest mistake but still.

When he figures Beca's not going to answers his eyes land on Emily, "is this your girlfriend?"

"No, this is Emily. My daughter." Beca deadpans.

His eyes widen and then squint when he realizes Beca's lying, "good to see you still have your dry sense of humor."

"Good to see you still don't have any sense of humour." Beca says back. Then she turns to Emily. "Come on Em, I have to go to Stacie's and get my phone back."

"Are you still with Stacie?" Her dad asks.

"No. You still with Sheila?"

"Yes of course." He nods a bit. "You should come over for dinner sometime."

"I'm not with Stacie but I'm still gay." Beca says.

Her dad nods, "I know. I've seen the models. It's a little disheartening to see your daughter have more game than you do."

Beca lets out a surprised laugh, "looks like you do have a sense of humour after all."

He smiles.

"I'll think about dinner." Beca says uncommitted. Sure she can have a somewhat decent conversation with her dad but it doesn't change the fact that he was next to never apart of her life.

"Sure," he says with a slight frown on his face.

Beca wants to punch something. She shouldn't feel bad for this guy. _Fuck_.

"Let's go Em, you probably have homework."

Emily starts to shake her head but probably upon seeing Beca's expression she nods, "yeah."

When they leave the shop and get back into the Escalade, Emily asks, "was that your dad?"

Beca turns to her and dead seriously says, "no. My son."

Emily laughs and smacks Beca's arm. The van swerves the slightest bit.

"Are you _trying_ to kill us?" Beca jokingly asks. She's not afraid of dying. She's not afraid of anything.

Beca drops Emily back at the Junk's and promises that they can hangout again and hit the studio whenever Emily wants.

Then she drives to Stacie's. The sky darkens with rain.

She gets to Stacie's apartment and knocks on the door. She shoves her hands in the front pockets of her slacks waiting for the door to open.

When she does she's surprise to see who's behind it.


	11. Chapter 11

Chloe Beale

"Chloe please, you're so amazing and beautiful. Please let me take you out. You won't regret it."

Chloe crosses her arms across her chest at the blonde. He's so stubborn Chloe wants to just smack him in the face. "Luke, I told you no. Last night I was drunk and I wasn't thinking straight. I'm sorry if I lead you on."

"Chloe," Luke begs.

In hushed voice since Courtney is just over in the living room, Chloe says, "it was a one night stand that's all, I'm sorry."

Luke clenches his jaw about to respond when there's a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Luke tells Chloe and goes to the door and opens it.

"Luke, what're _you_ doing here?"

Chloe freezes when she hears Beca's voice float through the apartment. She is undoubtedly happy that Beca is here and is safe but Beca is already pissed that Chloe had danced with Luke and now he's alone with her and Courtney in Stacie's apartment. This is just fantastic. What if she finds out they had sex last night too?

"Uh, actually I just came by to see if you came back with the Escalade," Luke says.

Chloe rolls her eyes and sarcastically thinks, yeah that's exactly the reason.

Chloe hears Beca give Luke the keys and then asks, "is Stacie here?"

Luke shakes his head, "no but Chloe is."

Beca mumbles something that Chloe doesn't catch, Luke doesn't respond to it. Then Luke's gone and Beca's coming in. Chloe leans against the door frame of the kitchen just watching the brunette.

Courtney looks up from the floor and squeals with joy when she sees Beca, "Becs!"

The four year old flings herself into Beca's arm, "hey little dude, why's your mom always out when I need her?"

Courtney shrugs probably not understanding the annoyance behind the question. She smiles excitedly a second later as she explains, "Aunt Chlo's babysitting!"

Chloe's heart nearly burst with anticipation as to what Beca's going to say.

"That's great, Court."

It's not mean but it's not nice either. She said it with no emotion and a blank and frankly bored look on her face.

Beca puts Courtney down, "I actually I have to go talk to Chloe, so you go play with your dolls and I'll be there in a second, okay?"

"Kay!" Courtney runs backs to the living room.

Beca adjusts her shirt and Chloe's heart beats fast with nervousness. She's rarely nervous, another thing Beca has changed about her.

"Hey," Chloe says, breaking

the silence. "You look nice."

And she does. Beca's in a white collared shirt tucked into black slacks. Chloe's never seen Beca in anything other than casual clothing.

"Church clothes." Beca says, gesturing with one hand to her body.

Chloe raises her eyebrow, "you go to church?"

"Apparently for Emily I do."

Chloe feels a wave of jealousy taking her in and drowning her. It's followed quickly by frustration and annoyance for the feeling. "Who's Emily?"

Beca shrugs, "some girl I met last night."

Chloe nods ignoring the increasing tide of envy. Why was Beca being vague about who Emily was? She shakes her head deciding to change the topic, "why'd you come here?"

"My phone." Beca says.

"Oh right, Stacie left it on the counter just in case you came for it." Chloe walks over to retrieve it for the brunette. "Guess she was right."

Beca shrugs, "she knows me well."

Another surge washes through Chloe and she can't stop herself when she says, "I slept with Luke last night."

Both Chloe's and Beca's eyes widen in shock. Chloe gets nervous seeing Beca's expression turn from shock to anger.

"Cool." The way Beca's eyes restlessly land on thing to thing to thing tells Chloe that Beca's trying to reign in most of her anger.

"Beca..." Chloe

"What do you want me to say? I think you already know how I feel about it so just fuck off." Beca seethes. "Give me my phone."

"Beca, I don't know why I said that. I wasn't trying to piss you off." But she knows her jealousy got the best of her and without meaning to she was trying to hurt Beca.

"Give. Me. My. Phone." Beca's practically trembling with anger.

"Beca, I'm sorry." Chloe knows she's fucked up. It's not even fair though, she isn't Beca's. After that kiss in the shop Beca had totally disregarded Chloe. Luke

was away of feeling like she was wanted again. But Chloe knew telling Beca this would only piss her off further.

Beca strides to Chloe and snatches her phone back. The whole thing is so menacing that Chloe temporarily loses her breath.

Before Chloe can catch her breath Beca's gone the door slamming shut behind her a second later.

The noise causes Courtney to look up, "where'd Bec go?"

Chloe pinches the bridge of her nose. _Ugh!_

* * *

Beca Mitchell

Beca is not normally good with words but she manages to express what she feels when she needs to. But if anyone asked her to explain how she's feeling right this moment she might as well be speaking alien.

She feels like she is being dipped into bone melting hot lava.

She feels like she could rip cement with her hands.

She feels like she could kill Luke.

But at the same time she feels nothing. Like someone sucked up her feeling and locked it away. She feels empty except for the burning sensation she feels on the left side of her chest where her heart should be.

This is all too much for her she needed to clear her mind. She needs drugs. But first she needs to punch her frustrations out on Luke's face.

When she gets outside the heavy feeling the air gets after it rains envelopes her which only strengthens the anger inside her.

Beca gets to Luke's apartment building and bangs on the door. Luke opens it, a joint in his hand, his eyes bleary and red.

"Ah Becky, I was expecting you."

Beca punches him square in the face. The skin on her knuckles split on her drivers front teeth. Luke stumbles back, clutching his face.

"Whoa. Okay. I deserved that." He puts his hands up in surrender. His face bloody. "Look. Look. I have a peace offering."

Beca raises her fist ready to hit him again.

"No, wait. Hear me out, Becky." He waits a moment until he's sure Beca won't hit him again. "I know a guy who can get you some really good drugs at a good rate. He keeps everything low key, it's great."

Beca can't help the way her eyes light up at the thought of chemically losing herself, it's been way too long. Who was she fooling anyway? "Okay, who?"

"Bumper Allen." Luke gives her the address where he can be reached and the going rate. Beca's not to worried about the money just the paps. If they're on her trail they'll figure it out fast enough that she's using again. All Beca has to decide is if she cares enough to give a fuck about what the world thinks and right now she doesn't.

Like, right now, she's getting information on how to get drugs from her personal driver after she just punched him in the face for sleeping with a girl that Beca wishes but knows she can't have. That's headline enough.

"If you tell anyone..."

Luke grins, flashing his red stained teeth, "I'd go down with you, remember? Of course I won't tell."

"I didn't know you did drugs dude." Beca muses.

"Ah, started when we landed in Barden."

Luke admits.

"Any reason?"

"You seem to enjoy it. Figured I'd be more like the boss." Luke shrugs.

Beca laughs, "you know they'll eventually forgive me but they'll just fire you."

"I know."

"Alright, as long as you're aware. I'm going to this Bumper guy now, cover for me?"

Beca isn't sure why, maybe the thought of being on drugs again soon, but she's calmed down a lot now.

"Course."

Beca turns to leave but Luke just has to ruin everything by saying, "by the way that ginger? The carpets match the drapes."

Beca takes a deep breath in and then out again. The itch comes back tickling the base of her neck. She'll scratch it. She'll fucking scratch it.

* * *

Chloe Beale

Chloe paces the length of Stacie's apartment back and forth. It's late at night and she's been texting Beca since she stormed out earlier but Beca hasn't answered.

"Chloe quit worrying." Aubrey says. Her and Stacie have been trying to get Chloe to relax since she texted them to meet at the apartment four hours ago, with no luck. Nothing either of them can say has entered Chloe's brain. They've all been deflected by the fear that Beca may be doing drugs again.

"She's doing do well in her recovery Bree."

"Beca always leaves," Stacie says.

Chloe turns to look at the tall brunette with a hostile gleam in her face. She's tired of hearing that same thing about the celebrity.

Aubrey jumps in to defend Stacie, "it's true Chlo'. She did the same thing last night and look what happened. She end up going to church with this Emily girl. Beca's probably fine."

"What do we know about Emily anyway?" Chloe asks, narrowing her eyes.

"Well the fact that she convinced Beca Mitchell to go to church tells me she is definitely not a gold digging slut."

"Stacie!" Both Chloe and Aubrey reprimand the brunette.

"Oh please," she says to Chloe. "You were thinking it."

"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of a heroin junkie." Chloe admits.

"That goes to church?" Aubrey rhetorically questions. "I doubt it."

"Hmmm." Chloe hums in thought. "So you really think she's okay?"

"Yes I really do." Aubrey assures.

* * *

Beca Mitchell

Beca is cracked out of her mind. She went to meet the Bumper guy. He really didn't leave any impression on her. He only had coke on him though. In LA the drug dealers had a bit of everything but she guesses beggars can't be choosers and cokes not bad at all.

Beca decided she probably shouldn't go back home to do the drugs incase Jesse was there so she made her way to the abandoned play ground. A place she hasn't been since she took Courtney there and saw that dead body.

She sat on the swing and got high. She got so fucking high and after so long too. It felt and still feels like running a thousand mile marathon and then drinking a glass of cool water at the end of it.

She hasn't been high in so long that it's hitting her strong. She can't tell if it's night or day when she feels her phone buzz in the pocket of her slacks. She pulls out her phone and unlocks it with great difficulty. She snorts a line in celebration.

She tries to read the text but it's fucking hard because the words split into letters and the letters split into two and dance around her eyes and laugh at her...no, with her.

She's laughing so hard, her stomach cramps and tears stream down her face. Her phone buzzes again but she drops it in the sand and continues her staring contest with the other swing next to her.

Her life is a pattern; Crash, burn, fall. Crash, burn, fall.

* * *

Chloe Beale

"It's been two days," Chloe says looking at the exhausted faces of Stacie, Aubrey, Jesse and Luke. They're all sitting around Stacie's kitchen table.

All of them have been up the past 48 hours looking for Beca. Trying to think of places she'd go to. They checked the cliff, the alleys, the beach. They found nothing.

"Maybe she went back to LA." Stacie says through a yawn. Her hair in a messy bun. Her face clean of any make up. Chloe thinks she looks about the same as the brunette.

Jesse shakes his head, "no she wouldn't go back without me."

Chloe sighs.

Aubrey sips her coffee, "it's Beca, Beca, Beca since she's arrived. Instead of cushioning her mistakes maybe we should get her some actual help."

"We don't know that she's gone back to drugs." Chloe points out. Her head is rests against her fist, her elbow okeeping her up.

"Don't we?" Aubrey shoots back.

Luke squirms a bit in his seat which doesn't go unnoticed by Chloe, "are you sure you don't know anything about where Beca is?"

Luke shakes his head, "how should I know?"

Aubrey narrows her eyes and then they pop open wide like they do when she gets an idea, "maybe she went back to that park?"

"I don't think so," Jesse says. "That dead body really shook her up."

Chloe gets up and puts her coat on, "I think I should go check just in case."

She grabs her keys and her phone and heads out the door.


	12. Chapter 12

Beca feels the warmth of the sun on her skin. She feels the ground underneath her awkwardly supporting her body. She feels her mouth dry and begging for rehydration. Keeping her eyes closed, she stretches out her legs and arms. She feels all her muscles complaining due to her movements but she keeps stretching because frankly, it feels so good.

She doesn't want to open her eyes because she's almost certain that when she does she'll find that she isn't in her bedroom or even in her apartment but in alleyway next to industrial sized garbage bins. That's how she feels: garbage.

She talks herself into opening her eyes thinking that whatever she finds, wherever she is when she does will be her punishment. She can't remember the exact reason why she should be punished but deep down she knows she's done something deserving of punishment.

Beca cracks her left eye open first which is shortly followed by her right one. The light temporarily blinds her. Her heart thuds in her chest as her mind tries to guess the possible places she might be. A girls bedroom. On the street somewhere. In a holding cell.

When Beca's eyes adjust she finds herself staring at the azure sky with a single white, cotton candy cloud in it. In her peripherals she feels the sun's glare being directed at her.

She rolls over her once complaining muscles are now screaming with protests but Beca doesn't stop until she gets to the glare. It turns out to be her phone. She picks it up and shakes the sand off of it.

When she turns it and checks the battery about 50%. Then she scrolls through the billions worried of text notifications she's gotten from Chloe, Jesse, Stacie and Aubrey. A few from Luke asking if she met Bumper. Letting her know everyone thinks she's been back on drugs. Great. Most recently there's a few from Emily. The texts go back for a day and half. She must of been gone for that long.

Beca picks her head up and is surprised to see herself at the abandoned park she swore to herself she'd never go back to.

With a sigh she clicks on the last person who texted her and then calls them.

"Beca?" They answer on the first rings.

It takes Beca a few tries to be able to use her voice normally but even then it's still cracks and sound an octave lower, "y-yeah Em. Hey, do you-u drive?"

Emily laughs lightly, "I do Bec but I'm at school."

Beca realizes that Emily's whispering and feels a rush of disappointment, "okay."

"Wait!" Emily's voice goes a bit higher. "I can call my mom though she has a day off of work today."

Beca looks down at her body. She's still wearing the shirt she got from the Junks but it's not perfectly pressed and white anymore. It looks like someone took a hand full of sand and dust and then took a piece of paper and crumpled it all together. Her pants look less dirty because they're black but they're equally as rumpled as her shirt.

She clicks the camera app and turns it towards her. Her hair is a tangled mess. Her lips are chapped. Her eyes have dark circles underneath them. She quickly clicks the phone off.

"Beca, you still there?" She hears Emily's voice.

Oh shit. She's still on the phone. She doesn't know what to do. She needs a ride but she doesn't want to call her friends or her driver. _Especially_ not her driver. She wants to call one of the Mama's or Papa's but doesn't because she knows they'll just alert their daughter or son and that'll be the same as calling her friends. So it's going to have to be Mrs Junk and she's going to have to explain why she's sleeping in a park and looks like she woke up from the dead.

Another sigh, "can you actually give me your moms number?"

"Sure," Emily tells her the digits and Beca puts them into her phone.

"Thanks Em," Beca says meaning it, then as if she has any right to discipline Emily she adds, "also what're you doing taking calls in class? You should paying attention."

"We're just reading Shakespeare and I've read all of his works before so." Emily justifies. " _And_ I was excited to see you calling!"

"Mmmmm, I would be too."

Emily chuckles, "I gotta go, are you going to be at my house when I get out of school?"

"We'll see. Have fun, bye dude."

"Bye."

Beca hangs up the phone feeling a little lighter but now she has to explain everything to Mrs Junk and hopefully she still allows Beca to hangout with Emily afterwards.

Beca tilts her head up to the sky, "God, if you're up there please stop making my life so complicated. I went to church. You know I haven't stepped into a church since mom...please. I don't know how to ask this in prayer. My life sucks so either put an end to it or help me get better."

Beca shuts her eyes and wills her message up to God. Than she gets up and sits on the swing.

She dials Mrs Junks number.

"Hello?"

Beca swallows, "um hey, this is Beca Mitchell. Remember I brought you're daughter home I think two nights ago?"

"Oh yes. Hey Beca, my daughter won't stop talking about you."

Beca chuckles awkwardly, "well, yeah. I know this is totally weird of me to ask but I need a favor."

"Of course, I wasn't doing anything anyway. What do you need?"

"It's kind of a big favor to ask of someone I've only met once."

"It's fine," Mrs Junk assures. "What is it?"

Beca takes a deep breath in, "I need a ride."

Mrs Junk laughs, "oh Beca that's no big deal, where are you?"

"Um, wait. It's more than that I also need you to listen and keep an open mind to what I say." Beca breathes.

Mrs Junk's voice grows in concern, "are you okay? Do you need me to bring a lawyer or something?"

"No, no, just you." Beca gives Mrs Junk the address of the abandoned park and before she hangs up she adds, "don't be alarmed at the sight of me, I didn't get mugged."

Mrs Junk laughs it sounds a little nervously, "alright, see you in ten."

Beca pockets her phone and gives a pointed look towards the sky. Towards God. "I'm begging."

Eleven minutes later Mrs Junk is walking over towards Beca, in dress pants and a floral blouse.

Beca gives a small wave. For a second Mrs Junk shows a pure shock at Beca's appearance then she reigns it in and smiles at Beca. Concern creasing her eyes.

"Hey," Beca says gesturing for her to sit on the other swing. Mrs Junk sits. "I know I have to explain my appearance to you but first I have to tell you about the things that happened in my life that led me here."

Mrs Junk nods patiently. Beca goes on to explain how she got kicked out at seventeen. How she ditched Barden a year later. How she got caught up in the fast paced celebrity life and found herself going to drugs to slow it all down. How Jesse found her almost dead. How her doctor told her to go back home for a year. How she feels the itch. How she met Chloe that cleared her head. How she met Courtney. She leaves out Luke but tell her about Bumper without using his name. She tells her how she can't remember the past day and half but that she's ashamed of how it happened. Then she begs. She begs Mrs Junk to let Beca hangout with Emily because she feels normal when she does. It's not complicated with Emily. It just normal. She begs Mrs Junk for forgiveness for all the mistakes she's made even though she knows Mrs Junk can't give it to her.

Mrs Junk listens understandingly, she nods and wipes away a few tears at Beca's story.

"Beca sweetheart, I know you can't change your past but the good thing about life is that it gives you a future." Mrs Junk stands up and goes in front of Beca. She takes Beca's hands in hers. "I think that you're capable of moving away from that life but you need that right platform to do it. Who are you living with right now?"

"My friend and manager Jesse."

"Okay, I'm not going to ask you to move out but maybe check in with me every few days or something? You can keep the guest room whenever you need a getaway from your friends." Mrs Junk tells Beca. "I'm not going to stop Emily from hanging out with you. I can see how both of you can learn from each other so long as you promise to keep her away from the drug life."

"I whole heartedly promise." If Beca wasn't tired and emotional stunted, maybe she would of cried but she just stares blankly at her feet.

"I trust you and I'm glad you came to me." Mrs Junk tugs Beca of the swing gently until the brunette is standing and hugs her tightly. Beca's heart swells. "Now come on, let's get you showered and changed before Em comes home."

Mrs Junk takes Beca home after stopping at a pizza place for lunch.

Beca showers watching the dirty water snake down her legs and toward the drain. She feels refreshed after the shower and changes into a size to big black hoodie and old basketball shorts that Mrs Junk laid out for her. She sits down at the kitchen table after plugging in her phone to charge in Emily's charger.

"So," Beca says, her fingers playing with the plant that's set in the middle of the table. "You think I'm fucked up don't you?"

Mrs Junk who's making tea for Beca and herself looks over at her, "first of all, language and second, I don't. I think you've had a lot go wrong in your life and no one to really lean on. That's all going to change now, right?"

"Right, when does Emily come home?"

"She should be home soon but she has to do her homework before you two do anything."

Beca makes a face of distaste to which Mrs Junk raises her eyebrows at her and Beca puts her hands up in surrender. "Fine."

"Why don't you call you're friends, they're probably worried sick."

Beca shrugs, "I'll call Chloe before I go to bed but I don't really want to talk to them right now."

Mrs Junk nods and places a mug of steaming tea in front of Beca, Beca thanks her.

"Mom, I'm home!" Beca perks up like a dog when their owner comes home.

"We're in the kitchen." Mrs Junk shouts back.

"We're?" Emily asks, Beca watches in amusement as Emily drops her backpack and then turns to the table. Her face goes from confused to ecstatic when she sees Beca. "Oh my God, yay!"

Emily wraps a still seated Beca into a hug. Beca smiles, she feels something she hasn't felt in a long, long time. She feels like she has a family. This day has been a real eye opener for Beca. She needs positivity to change her ways and positivity right now, is in the Junks.

Emily pulls a chair at the table and sit down, "so I started righting this song. It's only on the rough stages but I want you to listen to it."

"Yeah, definitely."

Mrs Junk clears her throat. When Beca looks over to her, she receives a pointed look.

"Actually Em, you have to finish you're homework first."

"I though you were supposed to be Hollywood's bad girl." Emily complains.

"We're not in Hollywood, are we?" Beca shoots back with a smirk on her lips.

Mrs Junk laughs, "alright girls, before you two take off, what do you want for dinner?"

"Lasagna," Emily says. Beca shrugs and nods. Then they race each other upstairs and head to Emily's room.

Beca lays with her back on Emily's bed playing on her phone while Emily sits at her desk finishing her biology homework.

"Em, where's your dad?" Beca asks before really thinking of its a good idea to ask something that could be personal. Like if someone asked her where her father is she'd probably get mad and tell them to fuck off. "You don't have to an-"

"No it's okay, he's on a business trip in China right now." Emily says not looking up from her textbook.

Beca goes quiet again. She starts thinking of Chloe. She can't help it. Chloe is something she can't just forget about. The redhead is forever engraved in her head.

"What're you thinking about?"

"Chloe," Beca admits.

"Why don't you just call her?"

"Dunno. I feel like we fight more than talk these days." Beca sits up and puts her back against Emily's headboard.

"Why's that?"

Beca looks up at Emily who's now, turned in her seat staring at Beca with a questioning look. "Are you done your homework?"

"Don't change the subject."

"You don't." Beca shoots back. "I'm going to go call Chloe. Finish your homework."

"Kay." Emily says it with about as much as Courtney would of.

Beca's hand trembles lightly with nervousness as the phone rings. Well starts to anyway because Chloe picks up right away.

"Beca? Please tell me you're okay." Her voice soothes her and make her anxious all at once.

"I'm okay, tell everyone I'm fine." Beca says. Awkward silence settles in.

"Where have you been?"

Beca feels a deja vu moment.

"At Em's."

She waits for the jealous to morph Chloe an mess of envy but all she gets in response is a genuine, "thank God your safe."

And then she continues. "Look Beca, I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me. These past few weeks aren't me. This isn't who I am. Everything between us has happened so fast and it's unhealthy. The kiss then nothing. It made me feel unsure about how I should act around you but that's not a free pass. It's not an excuse for how I've been acting. Beca you need someone supportive not insecure and I know I can be that for you. I just need you to give me a second chance and then we can start over and do it right."

"Chlo-"

"Do you want to get coffee with me at Benny's tomorrow at 10ish?" Chloe asks.

Beca smiles, "yeah, I'd like that."

Beca wouldn't of said yes if she didn't think Chloe was being genuine. The way she sounded right now was like how she sounded on the first day they met.

"Awes. I'm glad you're okay. We were all worried sick about you."

"Like I said I'm fine. The Junks are good people."

"I'd like to meet them, I want to tell them thank you." Chloe says.

"Yeah sure. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

"Sweet dreams Bec."

Then Beca hangs up the phone. Beca heads back up the stairs but before she can get there Mrs Junk calls, "dinners ready!"

And Beca smiles because everything for once in her life seems alright. She tilts her head up at the ceiling. "Thank you God."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Just a short update!

Chloe Beale

Chloe taps her fingers against the table at Benny's. She checks her phone for the hundredth time. 9:57 am. It's not like she told Beca a set time. Just 10ish. What does 10ish even mean?

She sighs, okay so she's a little nervous. Not that weird nervous that felt more like fear that she got whenever she knew she'd be seeing Beca but the kind of nervousness that keeps you up the night before prom because you can't stop thinking about how hot you're dates going to be in his suit when he picks you up.

A kid comes up to her, he's wearing a red apron with the word Benny's monogrammed on it, "what would you like to order?"

"Um," she looks at the front door. No sight of Beca. "A coffee, two sugars."

"That all?"

"For now." Chloe says, the boy leaves. Chloe runs her hand through her hair. And texts Aubrey.

 **She's not here yet!**

Aubrey texts back a minute later. **When did you tell her to meet you?**

Chloe texts. **10ish**.

 **Well calm down, 'cause it just turned ten.** Aubrey replies and Chloe can just see her best friend rolling her eyes.

When Chloe looks up from her phone her eyes connect with cloudy blue ones that makes her stomach do flips. Beca's standing there her hands in the back pockets of her ripped denims. She's wearing a white t-shirt underneath an old and bit too big jean jacket. Her hair in its natural waves. Chloe thinks she looks like a catalogue model for the fall denim section. All she's missing is moccasins. Instead she has on her regular pair of white Vans.

"Hey," Beca says, her lips aren't smiling but her eyes are.

Chloe smiles, "hi."

Chloe just smiles at Beca like an idiot until the boy comes back and gives her, her coffee. "Thanks."

Beca's still standing there so Chloe tells her, "Please sit. I'm sorry, I kind of ordered while I was waiting."

Beca shakes her head slightly, "no it's fine."

Then to the boy who's standing there staring at her shell shocked she says, "can I have a coffee with like four milks and seven sugars?"

"A-re you B-Beca Mitchell?" The boy stutters. Chloe bites her lip as Beca gives the boy an amused smirk.

"Sure am kid."

"Holy Jesus." The boys jaw is hung open.

Beca just pats him on the shoulder, "on second thought I'll just take a donut."

He nods vigorously, "s-sure."

Beca sits down in the chair across from Chloe and jerks her thumb in the direction that the boy ran off to and says with a shrug, "fans."

Chloe laughs, "it's good to see you in a good mood."

"Likewise."

Chloe can't pretend to not notice Beca's lightly bouncing leg ever so slightly bumping into her own. It's tells her that Beca's nervous too and for some reason that makes her blush.

"So how's everyone?"

It takes a second for Chloe to form proper words, "they're fine. Everyone's relieved to know you're okay."

Beca nods and clenches her jaw then releases, "how's Courtney?"

"Good, she misses you. Everyone does." Chloe says. Beca's expression doesn't change.

"I miss you guys too."

"When are you going back to your apartment?" Chloe asks.

"I don't know, soon maybe."

Chloe nods, she doesn't really care where Beca is staying as long as she's safe and happy. That's what Chloe has decided. She'd support Beca no matter what. Whether she's finds her happiness in another girl that isn't Chloe. Or if she finds it in a place that isn't Barden. Chloe will support Beca. As long as she's happy, Chloe's happy.

When Beca was gone for those days Chloe felt lost. Like she'd look out the window and see the same streets she's seen for four years and not recognize them. Even just the thought of the possibility of Beca dying made her heart shatter into millions of pieces.

That's all it took. That feeling of herself breaking at the thought of Beca being gone made her realize how stupid and selfish she was being. It made her realize that she needed to snap out of it, not just for her but for Beca as well. Because Beca wasn't looking for someone to shove her into the deep end and expect human buoyancy to kick in. No, Beca needed someone to give her a hand and teach her how to swim and so long as Beca allows it, that's what Chloe plans to do.

"You okay? You're kind of like, staring." Beca asks, pulling Chloe out of her head.

Chloe blushes at being caught, "I'm just really happy you're okay."

Beca shakes her head slowly and smiles at Chloe. Not the smile Chloe's seen in the photo's of Beca on the internet. The smile in the home videos. The smile that crinkles her eyes and shows off all her teeth. "We texted all last night. I told you I was fine at least a billion times."

"It's easier to believe when I can actually see that you are."

Beca rolls her eyes, "so you were really worried huh?"

Chloe nods, "I thought something horrible happened to you."

"It kinda did."

"Can we talk about it?" Chloe's hesitant to ask because she doesn't want to trigger Beca in anyway.

Beca's quiet for a bit, "sure."

Then they sit there for the next five minutes in silence until the boy comes back. "Here's your donut."

Beca keeps her eyes on Chloe when she rips a order sheet out of his notepad, signs it and gives it back to him. Chloe smiles and Beca smiles back.

The boy thanks Beca a trillion times and leaves.

"That was nice."

Beca shrugs, "I did coke."

"What? Why?"

"I was mad."

"At me?"

Beca nods. Chloe feels a surge of guilt go through her. Beca could of died because of her.

"Well I can't exactly blame you, so you don't blame yourself either okay?" Beca says. "Like you said on that cliff, it's not anyone else shoving drugs down my throat, it's me."

Chloe bites her lip, "I'm so sorry, Beca"

"Chloe, it's fine. Really."

They talk for about an hour and a half more than Chloe thought their coffee (one sided) date would last. By no means is she complaining. Chloe could sit there all day and listen to Beca talk.

Unfortunately she has a shift at the Sweet shop so that won't happen, at least no t today. They both stand up and stare at each other for an awkward beat until Chloe steps forward and wraps Beca in a tight hug, "thanks for coming."

Beca bounds on the balls of her feet, "thanks for asking me to."

With one last squeeze they get into their own cars and drive away.

* * *

Chloe sits bored behind her stool, business is almost non existent today so she's surprised when she hears the door bell chimes.

She looks up to find Jesse standing there, "hey."

Jesse half waves, "hey, so you met Beca?"

"Yeah I-"

"Was she okay? Did she look healthy? Did she say she was going to come back anytime soon?" Jesse asks Chloe all in one breath.

Chloe shakes her head slowly, "she's fine but she said she's going to stay with the Junks for a little while longer."

Jesse frowns, "I should been there for her."

"Jesse, she doesn't blame you." Chloe assures him.

"It doesn't matter, Beca and I have gone through everything together. Just because we're back in Barden...I'm a terrible friend." Jesse hits his palms against the counter making Chloe jump a little.

"Beca doesn't blame you Jesse. She'll come back when she's ready." Chloe says trying to calm Jesse. It works because his breathing become less erratic.

After he leaves Chloe takes out her phone and send a text to Beca. **Can you text Jesse, he's beating himself up.**

Beca replies five minutes later. **Over what?**

 **Over you leaving.** Chloe responds.

Beca texts. **Okay, I'll call him. Thanks for letting me know.**

Chloe smiles down at the screen of her phone. **No problem.**

Chloe doesn't get another text from Beca the entire rest of the day but she's okay with that. Beca's finally talking to her and it's not ending up in the two of them fighting so they're definitely improving their relationship. That's all Chloe could ask for.


End file.
